#RebuildTheNHS

THE DOCTORS’ MANIFESTO FOR THE NHS

Introduction

EveryDoctor is a not-for-profit campaigning organisation advocating for the safety and well-being of every NHS patient and staff member. The NHS is in a state of absolute emergency, and immediate changes are required to support NHS staff and safeguard lives. We have constructed a Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS, outlining our key priorities to help UK politicians create meaningful change. We will be offering 4 briefings to MPs from October to December 2024 to provide details, including expert testimony from NHS doctors.

Overview

The NHS faces severe and escalating challenges, including:

  • Long NHS Waiting Lists: Currently, there are approximately 7.6 million cases on NHS waiting lists in England, with waiting times being described as “dangerous” and “unethical.”
  • Crumbling Buildings: Many healthcare facilities are in disrepair, with an unmet repair bill of almost £14 billion.
  • Staffing Problems: There are currently 121,000 full-time staff vacancies in the NHS in England, leading to high levels of burnout and unsafe patient care experiences. There are staffing problems throughout the UK and we will be focusing specifically on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in upcoming briefings.

During our first briefing on the 10th October 2024 we presented the Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS to a group of MPs and their staffers as follows:

We are calling for immediate action in ten priority areas to improve the NHS:

  1. Improve NHS staff pay and support.
  2. Urgently review the expansion of the workforce of physician associates, anaesthesia associates, and non-doctor groups taking on traditional medical roles.
  3. Better funding for the NHS.
  4. Better funding for social care and improvements for carers themselves.
  5. Improve NHS workplaces.
  6. Focus on NHS staff training and recruitment.
  7. Focus on equal access to NHS services.
  8. We need longer term plans for the NHS.
  9. Urgently review the role of the General Medical Council.
  10. Improve “ways of working” for NHS; focusing on admin support, remote work, IT and tech.

You can download the manifesto document here.

During the second briefing on 7th November 2024, EveryDoctor focused on three priority areas from the Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS:

1. Better Funding for the NHS.

2. Better funding for social care, and improvements for carers themselves.

3. Focus on equal access to NHS services.

You can download the second briefing document here.

During the third briefing on the 21st November 2024, EveryDoctor focused on three more priority areas from the Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS:

1. Urgently review the expansion of the workforce of physician associates, anaesthesia associates, and other non-doctor groups taking on traditional medical roles.

2. We need longer term plans for the NHS.

3. Urgently review the role of the General Medical Council.

There has been significant progress on point 1, with Wes Streeting recently announcing a review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates. This follows growing concern about the supervision, governance, and scope of practice of medical associate professionals in the NHS. This represents a goal achieved in our campaign and we will continue to pay attention to what happens next.

You can download the third briefing document here.

During the fourth briefing on the 5th December 2024, EveryDoctor focused on the remaining priority areas from the Doctors’ Manifesto for the NHS:

1. The need to improve NHS staff pay and support.

2. The need to improve NHS workplaces.

3. The need to focus on NHS staff training and recruitment.

4. The need to improve “ways of working” in the NHS.

You can download the fourth briefing document here.

Emergency Briefing about the NHS -22nd January 2025

The NHS is in a state of absolute emergency

As many healthcare experts predicted during the summer and autumn months of 2024, the NHS is facing extraordinary pressures this winter. Emergency departments are unbelievably busy, hospital bed pressures are very high, and the impact is being felt across the NHS. In many places, patients are struggling to access timely healthcare, and staff in many places are having a very difficult time.

There can be no justification for the government to delay taking immediate and drastic action to rebuild the NHS, given the enormous numbers of patients who are being impacted by the current state of the service.

Our emergency briefing was well supported by 104 MP offices. Attendees received the emergency briefing document and heard first hand testimony from 3 doctors working on the frontline in different areas of the NHS, which described the current situation in such compelling and painful detail that it was difficult to ignore.

EveryDoctor remains ready to assist those MPs who are ready to stand up for the NHS, in anyway that would be helpful, and they or their staffers are invited to reach out to campaigns@everydoctor.org.uk with their requests. We want to help.

You can download the emergency briefing document here.

Regional Briefings – February 2025

Following our successful Westminster briefings, EveryDoctor expanded our campaign to engage with devolved governments across the UK, addressing specific regional healthcare challenges and priorities.

Scottish Parliament Briefing – 19th February 2025

Our briefing to MSPs focused on critical issues facing NHS Scotland, including:

  • Regional workforce challenges
  • Rural healthcare access
  • Integration of health and social care services

You can download the Scottish briefing document here.

Welsh Senedd Briefing – 20th February 2025

The Welsh briefing addressed key concerns within NHS Wales, including:

  • Unique challenges of delivering healthcare in Wales
  • Cross-border care coordination
  • Solutions for reducing waiting times in Welsh hospitals

You can download the Welsh briefing document here.

Northern Ireland Assembly Briefing – 21st February 2025

Our presentation to MLAs highlighted specific challenges within Northern Ireland’s health service, including:

  • Equality in healthcare delivery in a rural society
  • How social care issues are impacting the health service
  • Addressing regional health inequalities

You can download the Northern Ireland briefing document here.

These regional briefings complemented our Westminster campaign by providing targeted recommendations for each nation’s specific healthcare needs while maintaining our core message about the urgent need for NHS reform and support.

Please consider becoming a part of our community to ensure that every NHS patient receives safe, timely care, or donate to support this important campaign.

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