Our advice to the Government on the NHS objectives for 2023

In previous years, the Government updated the objectives for the NHS for the next 12 months. However, these updates will now be less frequent to allow the Government to provide high-level strategic direction for the NHS.

To help set these strategic priorities, we use the views you have shared with us to recommend changes that will help improve standards of care.

The Government has now published its priorities for the NHS.

Download our recommendations

What did we say?

The NHS faces many challenges due to the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as long waiting times, the barriers people face with waiting lists and a shortage of NHS workers.

We are asking the Government to consider how they will regularly inform strategic priorities with patients and the public. We want some clarification on how the Government plans to measure the progress made and to ensure that NHS England responds to public concern to adjust its priorities.

Using the views we have gathered from people across England, we advised Government to include seven issues in its objectives for the NHS.

1. Tackle access to GP services, pharmacies and hospitals: People are still struggling with the changes to GP access during COVID-19. Many find it difficult to book appointments via phone systems. While making better use of pharmacies to free up GP capacity is positive; NHS England must consider the challenges facing pharmacies and hospitals, like staffing and lack of funding.
2. Review access and discharge of urgent and emergency care: NHS England should ensure that improving ambulance response times and waiting times to access A&E remains a crucial priority and they should be clearer with patients and the public about what they can expect from emergency care. They should also focus on speeding up hospital discharge and easing winter pressures on hospital beds.
3. Reforming Dentistry: A rethink of dental care is needed as long-standing issues, such as the shortage of dentists willing to take on NHS work causing an underspend in the NHS dental budget, and the closure of many dental practices, continues to cause many negative experiences.
4. Tackling elective care waiting lists: Concern is growing about the rising average waiting time for elective treatment and its larger impact on women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and those living on lower incomes. NHS England should increase the support available for people whilst they wait for care and be mindful of health inequalities. They should also review their referrals process.
5. Transparency on patient data: Having an ongoing conversation with people is essential to build trust in how patient data will be stored and managed. As technology becomes an increasingly important part of managing health conditions, there should be clarification on the importance of involving patients in rolling out new technological approaches.
6. Tackling health inequalities: NHS England should focus on making waiting lists and barriers that people face more equal for everyone. They should make clear the importance of implementing the updated Accessible Information Standard, due out this summer, and ensuring Integrated Care Systems tackle health inequalities.
7. Implementing a Workforce Plan: A workforce plan that supports the improved capacity of how many doctors, nurses and other professionals are needed is essential to support recovery plans in all parts of the NHS.