Recommendation 25

HM Government Acknowledged

The overall aims of NHS England’s Long Term Plan remain the right ones and these strategic aims are reflected in planning guidance, service specific plans and work with systems. DHSC and NHS England continue to work together to monitor commitments in the plan on an ongoing basis. The government is building on the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan through the Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care , the Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services , Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care , as well as the soon to be published Long Term Workforce Plan and the major conditions strategy. It is crucial that ICBs take a life course approach to reducing health inequalities. In order to tackle health disparities and enable more people to live healthy lives, we need to work together to give every child the best start in life, from pregnancy through to late adolescence. System plans should include a clear articulation of the needs of pregnant women, babies, children and young people within their population, and how those needs will be met through collaboration across the system. On 24 January 2023, the government announced a new major conditions strategy with an interim report planned for publication in the summer. The strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. Interventions set out in the strategy will aim to alleviate pressure on the health system, as well as support the government’s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. The strategy will outline that we need to shift the health system’s model towards preserving good health, and the early detection and treatment of diseases. We have a proud record of opening new treatment possibilities in the NHS. Diseases that were once a death sentence have become conditions that can be managed over the long term. By harnessing innovation and technology we are increasingly capable of detecting diseases at an early stage, in some cases before symptoms emerge. Intervening at this point will reduce demand downstream on health and care services. The major conditions strategy will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address regional disparities in health outcomes, supporting the levelling up mission to narrow the gap by 2030. Healthy, fulfilled, independent and longer lives for the people of England will require health and care services, local government, NHS bodies and others to work ever more closely together. The strategy will set out the supporting and enabling interventions DHSC and NHS England can make to ensure that ICSs and the organisations within them maximise the opportunities to tackle health inequalities. In addition, as outlined in response to recommendation 26 (below), the government will continue to work to empower local leaders to improve outcomes for their populations.