NHS Plan: Consultation

Lord Bishop of London Excerpts

Monday 2nd December 2024 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[The Lord Bishop of London]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the consultation for the NHS 10 Year Plan reaches all communities, including those who have least interaction with the health service.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, we want to ensure that the voices and experiences of patients are at the heart of our plans to make the NHS fit for the future, especially those voices that often go unheard. We are working with charities, faith groups, health and care providers, local government and others to ensure that we hear from those that national government often fails to reach. We will monitor this closely and target underrepresented groups before the engagement exercise concludes in spring 2025.

[The Lord Bishop of London]

I thank the Minister for her reply, and I am encouraged by the Government’s consultation on the NHS 10-year plan. However, does she agree with me that, if we are to move from sickness to prevention, any engagement ICBs have with their communities has to be long term and systematic? If so, what are the Government doing to resource ICBs to make sure that their engagement with communities is long term and systematic?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I agree with the right reverend Prelate. Integrated care systems, which are responsible for reflecting the needs of the community and its spending, must follow guidance, and it is important that we identify the seldom-heard groups. We have built into the consultation plans a “workshop in a box”—a toolkit to support discussion in local communities, which ICBs are rolling out. It is a good way of encouraging ICBs to talk directly to local communities.