Wes Streeting (Labour) has urged the British Medical Association to become "friends, not foes" in fixing what he describes as a broken NHS. The Health Secretary made this appeal during a special meeting of the BMA's representative body, warning of tight budgets and the growing threat posed by the Reform Party.
The Labour minister told doctors that the Government's approach to the NHS and its staff has fundamentally changed since taking power. He emphasised that rescuing the health service from its biggest crisis requires teamwork rather than adversarial relationships.
Partnership plea
Streeting stressed his need for collaboration, stating: "I can't do this alone. I need partners, not adversaries. I am in this job to fight for patients every day just like you, and just like you I am in this job to save the NHS every day. If we join forces, it's a fight we can win. If we are pitted against each other, the whole country loses."
The Health Secretary acknowledged he was still waiting for the BMA to accept his olive branch. He argued that doctors were "fighting the last enemy" rather than recognising Labour's different approach compared to the Conservatives.
He highlighted key policy differences, saying: "The Conservatives curbed your pay - we're raising it. The Conservatives created training bottlenecks - we're tackling them. The Conservatives took the NHS to the worst crisis in its history - we're putting it back on the road to recovery."
Reform warning
Streeting delivered a stark warning about the consequences of failure, specifically mentioning Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. He said: "If we fail and Nigel Farage gets his hands on it, then it is Reform and die. I don't know about you, but I do not want that on my conscience."
The minister warned that continued strikes and industrial action could slow investment in new technology and equipment. This could ultimately lead to public disillusionment with Labour's NHS management and potentially result in a Reform government that "has openly said it will replace the NHS with an insurance-based system".
Ten-year plan details
The Government's 10-Year Health Plan for England aims to deliver fundamental changes to health service structure, funding and delivery. Key proposals include moving care from hospitals to communities through neighbourhood health centres and transitioning from analogue to digital systems.
The plan also emphasises preventing ill health and includes major expansion of the NHS App alongside greater use of artificial intelligence and other technology. These changes are designed to provide more care outside traditional hospital settings.
Doctor concerns
Dr Tom Dolphin, BMA chairman of council, told the meeting that workforce morale remains low and patient confidence needs rebuilding. He highlighted that hospital appointment waits "are too often measured in years, not days and weeks" and stressed the need to fix a disjointed NHS.
A survey of 2,874 grassroots doctors in England revealed significant concerns about the ten-year plan's impact. Some 77% of GPs felt the proposals could damage continuity of patient care, while over 80% believed it would decrease general practice independence.
Many doctors questioned whether they could provide similar treatment levels in the planned neighbourhood health hubs. Dolphin called for clarity on how these centres would operate, particularly given current NHS staff vacancies, asking: "how fewer staff will be able to deliver more care through Neighbourhood Health Centres, open 24 hours a day, six days per week".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
