Lord Darzi review of the NHS

People with epilepsy will recognise many of the points raised by Professor Lord Darzi in his report on the state of the NHS in England.

From the difficulty in getting a GP appointment, significant delays in A&E to long waiting lists to see a neurology consultant, the report, commissioned by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, highlights the NHS’s problems and diagnoses it as being in ‘critical condition’.

The report outlines the key issues around the length of time people wait and the quality of treatment they receive, and that the NHS has not been able to meet its most important promises made to the people since 2015. It acknowledges that public trust and confidence have been damaged by the inability of the NHS to deliver a comprehensive health service.

However, despite the many problems identified, Lord Darzi, an NHS surgeon and former Health minister, sets out themes for the government to address in a 10-year plan for reforming the health service. These include:

• Re-engage staff and re-empower patients
• Create a neighbourhood NHS to simplify and innovate care delivery that brings together primary, community and mental health services
• Drive productivity in hospitals through better operational management and capital investment in modern buildings and equipment
• Tilt towards technology to transform care and create new treatments

The Government has said it will use these findings to reform the NHS and there will be three big shifts in how it delivers care. These include moving to a digital NHS, shifting care from hospitals to the community and moving from sickness to prevention.

Epilepsy Society responds

Responding to Lord Darzi’s report, Nicola Swanborough, Head of External Affairs at the Epilepsy Society said:

“The report echoes the frustrations and concerns of that we hear every day on our Helpline and across our social media platforms. People can’t get appointments. They can’t get medical advice. And too often they can’t get their medication.

“There is much in the NHS that is broken which not only lets down patients but also lets down the amazing staff who suffer the frustrations and challenges of being under-resourced and hampered in delivering the service they would wish for their patients.

“For people with epilepsy and many other long-term conditions, medication shortages has been a major issue this year which is why we will be meeting with industry leaders at the Labour Party Conference this month, to discuss at why the medicines supply chain is broken and how it can be fixed. We are asking the Government to commission a review of the medicines supply chain.

“We are also calling on the Government to introduce a medical exemption for dental repairs caused as part of a seizure. Lord Darzi emphasises the need for the patient voice to be louder within the NHS and we hope that on both these counts, the Department will take notice and take action.”