New Secretary of State for Health, Wes Streeting, has begun his time in office with the expected focus on NHS reform.
Since taking up his position, Streeting has wasted no time in setting out his position. On his first day in office, Streeting described the NHS as “broken”. In a speech this week, he stated:
“One of the things I’ve said to my department and to the NHS is we need to rethink our role in government and in our country at large. This is no longer simply a public services department. This is an economic growth department, and the health of the nation and the health of the economy are inextricably linked.”
He added “If we can marry our health and social care system with the incredible life sciences and med tech ecosystem we have in this country, we can be a powerhouse for the life sciences and med tech revolution here in this country and in the world. And that is an economic growth mission.”
Streeting has also launched a review into NHS failings, covered elsewhere in this newsletter, and described the NHS as needing to pivot from treatment to prevention
Diagnostics must be a key player to achieve these aims – not just in terms of industry economic contributions, but from unlocking the UK’s R&D and academic potential, driving innovation, and supporting a healthier population who in turn contribute economically.
