Next government must be bold to tackle worst NHS crisis ever, says BMJ commission – GWC Mag

The NHS is facing the most severe crisis in its history, and bold leadership is needed from the next government to rebuild the service and put health at the centre of all policy, a group of experts has urged.

The first report of the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS (bmj.com/nhs-commission), which launched this week, identified years of constrained funding, workforce shortages, and high demand from an ageing population as some of the key pressure points on the health service.1 The next government should declare a national health and care emergency and urge all parts of society to play their part in helping improve the health, care, and wellbeing of the population, it argued.

The commission brings together leading experts from medicine and healthcare to identify key challenges and priorities and make recommendations aimed at ensuring that the vision of the NHS is realised. It is co-chaired by Victor Adebowale, Parveen …