Stephen Kinnock said:
“I was delighted to join over 100 residents in Ipswich, all of whom are passionate about getting our NHS back on its feet.
“I also got to see first-hand the innovative Be Well Bus, which is exactly the kind of community healthcare initiative we need — bringing vital services like health checks and vaccinations directly to people’s doors.
“We can only build an NHS fit for the future by working hand in hand with local communities. It’s crucial that we hear directly from people all over then country about their experiences and ideas for improvement, and the insights shared today will help shape a healthcare system that works for everyone. I encourage everyone to visit change.nhs.uk and share their ideas to help.”
Stephen Kinnock and Stephen Powis also visited a local Be Well Bus, a mobile unit offering health checks and vaccinations in order to bring healthcare to people’s doors.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said: “If we’re to deliver on our goal of making best practice, normal practice across all NHS organisations, it is essential that we hear from patients and their families directly.
“The 10 Year Health Plan is a great opportunity for the public to have their say on the future of the NHS, and we’re delighted that so many people came down to share their ideas on how best we innovate and adapt for tomorrow.
“I’ve spoken to patients, family members and NHS staff with a whole host of experiences, both good and bad. But everyone is united in the common goal of wanting to build a stronger NHS that is fit for the future.”
The visit to Ipswich is part of a larger, nationwide NHS roadshow, following the government’s request that all 1.5 million NHS staff, patients, and experts — as well as the wider public — visit the online platform change.nhs.uk to share their experiences, views, and ideas for moving forward with the NHS and helping shape the plan.
Change.nhs.uk has already received almost 1.1 million separate visits, with almost 9,000 ideas submitted on the site. The website will still be live until spring 2025 and is available via the NHS App.
Among the thousands of submitted answers, the most frequent suggestions are establishing a research health company to gain insights on preventions, the switch to digital records, pop-up or mobile clinics to meet the surge in demand for services, and to stop giving out paper leaflets and letters for those that have access to IT.
Data shows that specific problems to the East of England include a waiting list of more than 920,000, with almost 40,000 of those being over a year, a waiting list of more than 91,000 at the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, with over 3,000 of those being more than a year, and a waiting list of more than 13,000 at the North Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, with over 5,000 of those being more than a year.
This all comes part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to be published in spring 2025 and underscored by three big shifts in healthcare: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.
