Starmer vows to get NHS ‘back on its feet’

The Prime Minister has vowed to get the NHS “back on its feet” in his first speech as leader.

Sir Keir Starmer said he would help the NHS “face the future” before he entered 10 Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister.

Speaking outside the famous residence, Sir Keir said that changing the country “is not like flicking a switch” but he said that “the work of change begins immediately”.

“Changing a country is not like flicking a switch – the world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while, but have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately,” he said.

“Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain with wealth created in every community; our NHS back on its feet, facing the future; secure borders; safer streets; everyone treated with dignity and respect at work; the opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.”

He also pledged that nurses, along with other professions, would not be “ignored”.

Sir Keir said: “For too long now, we have turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity – nurses; builders; drivers; carers; people doing the right thing, working harder every day – recognised at moments like this before yet, as soon as the cameras stop rolling, their lives are ignored. I want to say very clearly to those people, not this time.”

The historic Labour victory comes as the NHS celebrates its 76th anniversary.

The National Health Service was launched on July 5 1948 and was the brainchild of then-Labour health secretary Aneurin Bevan.

It was the first system of its kind and in the 76 years since its inception, the NHS has become the best-known health service in the world.

While the service has faced its own difficulties in recent years, surveys show that the majority of the British public still believe in the founding principles of the service.

Some 82% agree that the NHS should be available to everyone, 91% think it should be free of charge and 82% believe it should be primarily funded through taxes, according to the latest Social Attitudes Survey.

Yet the poll showed that satisfaction with the service dipped to its lowest ever level in 2023, with some 24% of the public saying they were satisfied with the health service.

Commenting on the speech, Dame Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Health Foundation think tank, said: “While we welcome the Prime Minister’s focus on national renewal in his first speech on the steps of Downing Street, the scale of the task that the new government inherits cannot be underestimated.

“The NHS is facing one of the toughest moments in its history, and the challenge to get it back on its feet will be significant.”

Professor Nicola Ranger, acting general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, added: “Outside Downing Street, Keir Starmer rightly acknowledged the insecurity felt by nursing staff – our profession was the top of his list.

“From day one, he must deliver a reset in relations with health and care services, the people who work in them and their professional representatives. We will act as partners in finding constructive solutions.”