This week saw Labour’s 2023 Conference in Liverpool, and with the opposition riding high in the polls, we paid close attention to their comments on health and technology. Much like the Conservative Conference, health policy was often focused on prevention, with Labour also focusing on how the health and wealth of the nation are inextricably linked.
The Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting gave his conference speech to a packed audience on Wednesday. He reiterated Labour’s pledge to abolish non-dom tax status, which would pay for two million more appointments each year, as well as more clinics on evenings and weekends.
Mr Streeting continued with the pecuniary prudence which has marked his tenure, claiming that while investment is – of course – essential, reform of the NHS was more important. Rising levels of chronic disease and an increasingly ageing society were identified as the chief areas of concern. Mr Streeting stated that Labour would ameliorate these issues by concentrating on expanding community-based care, developing more digital solutions (partly though harnessing the ability of the life sciences industry), and utilising preventative approaches.
Embracing technology and AI will be priorities for the Labour health team, Mr Streeting claimed, and specifically pinpointed AI and genomics as areas of opportunity in providing early diagnoses and preventing disease.
Labour’s flagship diagnostic policies have centred on investing in MRI and CT scanners; again, a feature of Mr Streeting’s address. While this is important, we will continue to work with the Shadow Health team to increase investment in, and utilisation of, IVDs.
Mr Streeting attended many fringe health events where he revealed further details about his party’s plans. He claimed he was unsure that competition within public services is key to driving outcomes, telling the audience he was more convinced by integration and collaboration. Unsurprisingly, he heavily criticised the current state of the NHS, declaring that high levels of wastefulness were crippling the health service, moreover, pumping money into a broken system was not the answer.
Interestingly, he criticised the Treasury’s mindset, calling for greater collaboration with DHSC and the abolition of short-termist thinking which has proliferated in the department. Labour is also examining plans to expand the role of community pharmacies and will implement a dedicated mission delivery board for prevention. Tackling the nation’s health and social care problems will require ten years to complete, he said.
Mr Streeting had encouraging words for innovators seeking to make inroads into the NHS, claiming that while the health service implemented numerous pilots, it needed to improve on adoption and rollouts. He also signalled his eagerness to drive innovation within the NHS by better working with the private sector, as well as universities and charities.
Moreover, he stated a lack of private investment in the life sciences is holding back the NHS, while also calling for improved usage of health data to improve outcomes. Improving interoperability across trusts to enable digital innovation to flourish and be integrated seamlessly was also underlined as a necessity.
At a separate fringe event, Social Care Minister Andrew Gwynne reaffirmed the overarching themes of Labour’s health policy. Mr Gwynne said that health policy should run throughout all government departments and articulated how the decade will see a shift from hospital to community and primary care, the grasping of technological opportunities, and a shift to preventative approaches.
Shadow Science, Innovation and Research Minister Chi Onwurah hailed the strength of the life sciences industry at a fringe event she attended, stressing that a Labour Government would back the sector long-term. She also stressed that research and innovation was key to Labour’s mission-orientated strategy. Ms Onwurah also noted the unequal distribution of R&D funding and called for innovation and commercialisation in the north. In a different session, she stated that medical technology will play a part in Labour’s plans to drive growth.
In her major conference speech, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined her desire to better insulate the UK from global insecurity by shifting focus to the development of homegrown industry and capacity. In a business-friendly pitch, Ms Reeves spoke of her desire to induce growth, facilitated by increasing private, business investment.
She also announced Labour’s intention to create a new National Wealth Fund with a target of generating three pounds for every pound invested by the Government. Her remarks went hand-in-hand with those of the Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Jonathon Reynolds, who highlighted the need for government to build the infrastructure the private sector needs to invest, which Labour’s industrial strategy will help achieve.
