We know that the headlines we’re seeing today may be confusing, alarming and distressing for many people, but please be reassured that this is not the end of the NHS in England – rather, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that NHS England – the organisation that oversees the management of the NHS will be abolished. This is not the end of the NHS in England, nor does it mean the end of health care that can be accessed by all.
As the UK’s biggest charity dedicated to liver health, we support any measures to reduce unnecessary NHS spending by cutting bureaucracy and duplication. We will be closely monitoring the government’s next steps, to ensure that diagnosis, waiting times, treatment and outcomes for anyone affected by liver disease are not affected in any negative way. The British Liver Trust is currently working with NHS England on a number of programmes that support patients with liver disease and liver cancer and we will be asking for clarification on how these changes will impact patient care and services. We urge the government to provide detailed plans on how the proposed changes will affect any existing or planned initiatives, and we will continue to campaign and lobby for the best outcomes for everyone affected by liver disease.
NHS England is the body that has been responsible for the day to day running of the NHS in England since 2012, and was set up by then Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to create an independent body that was responsible for some of the NHS services provided in England.
The Prime Minster explained that the decision has been made:
- to save money,
- to reduce bureaucracy and cut the amount of time spent by frontline staff completing paperwork, and
- to bring the NHS back under the control of the government, specifically the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
