Skip to content
That means it also dictates what not to prioritise. And the politics of this is a minefield.
Most cancer targets have remained. Workforce, dementia, vaccination and women’s health targets have been dropped. The planning guidance aims to promote a bold and coherent policy direction, with the political leadership effectively communicating to the public: “The NHS cannot do everything; here are our focal points.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasised that “if everything is a priority, nothing is”.
In parallel, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, conveyed to a parliamentary committee that “just because something isn’t written in planning guidance doesn’t mean it’s not important”.
Collectively, this dual messaging from the leadership aims to reassure stakeholders about protected services while acknowledging necessary trade-offs. However, there also exists potential for mixed messages.
In the coming months, both political and operational leaders must navigate difficult decisions regarding what to prioritise, where to cut, and what to leave to chance and local variation. As the Government plans its strategic direction for the NHS over the next decade through the 10 Year Health Plan, patient advocates and interest groups will be lobbying hard to safeguard their respective areas. This guidance offers a glimpse of what we might expect.
The central question shifts from universal satisfaction towards optimising outcomes for as many people as possible – but there will undoubtedly be vented frustration from many stakeholder groups.
It will be a tough line for the Government to walk, with difficult financial, political and operational decisions still to come – and this all manifests into a considerable communications challenge.
Government and the NHS leadership will need to be in lockstep if they are to succeed in delivering this tough message.