King’s Speech: health leaders welcome plans but expect more
Legislation affecting health and social care feature in the plans Sir Keir Starmer’s new government has for the country, which were outlined today by King Charles II during the state opening of parliament.
Mental health reform, the tobacco ban, devolution changes and loose plans to improve the NHS are among a host of legislative changes mentioned in the first King’s Speech of the new UK Government.
“Nursing staff are expecting a period of renewal for our health and care services and a reset with government”
Nicola Ranger
The King’s Speech, which the monarch reads out but is written by the government, is a statement of intent for policies intended to be coming in the near future.
Often, it reiterates promises that a government or political party has already announced.
In today’s speech, the King said the government would be improving the NHS as “a service for all” by reducing waiting times, moving to a “focus on prevention” and improvements in mental health.
To this end, he confirmed upcoming reforms to the Mental Health Act via the Mental Health Bill.
“My ministers will legislate to modernise the Mental Health Act so it is fit for the twenty first century,” said the King.
This will include further limits on when people with learning disabilities and autistic people can be detained under the act, “strengthening” patient voices, and removing police stations and prisons as designated “places of safety” for people experiencing mental health crises.
Prime minister Keir Starmer
He announced the long-awaited ban on the sale of tobacco products to the younger generation in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, as well as restrictions on junk food advertising to children.
The incremental smoking ban was proposed by the previous Conservative government but failed to make it to parliament before it was dissolved before the general election.
In addition, the King said his government would work to ban “exploitative” employment practices and improve “employment rights” with the Employment Rights Bill, which the Labour Party hinted in its manifesto would include a crackdown on the exploitation of migrant social care workers and a repeal of legislation curbing the influence of trade unions.
As well as this, it intends to ban zero-hour contracts, improve pay for adult social care workers and strengthen employment protections for new mothers.
Health leaders and unions have welcomed the promises – but have also called for more action on social care and the nursing, and wider NHS, workforce, which were largely left out.
RCN general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said such measures must “follow soon”, while welcoming what was promised.
“The new government is right to focus on our ailing NHS, but measures to increase recruitment into nursing, that are not legislative and not present today, should follow soon,” she said.
Ms Ranger said: “The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan is off target, and it needs fresh political energy and investment.
“Applications to study nursing have collapsed, and ministers should introduce government-funded degrees in the interests of patient safety.”
Ms Ranger added: “Nursing staff are expecting a period of renewal for our health and care services and a reset with government – today’s policy programme is a move towards delivering that.
“We particularly welcome the new government’s commitment to repealing anti-trade union legislation, which silences NHS and care workers from speaking up for themselves and their patients.”
She also said the government must honour its manifesto pledge to investigate the exploitation of migrant care workers, and the Employment Rights Bill could pave the way for a “historic” pay deal for social care.
Furthermore, she welcomed the promised changes to the Mental Health Act.
Nicola Ranger speaking on stage at RCN Congress 2024
Similarly, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said today’s announcements were positive but the “start of a long process”.
She called the government’s workers’ rights plans a “game changer”, and aired optimism about plans for social care.
“After years of government neglect, the fair pay agreement is the first sign things are set to change, with a national care service the ultimate prize,” she said.
“Once the new pay agreement is in place, wages in care will rise across England, easing the sector’s staffing nightmare and relieving pressure on the NHS.”
Sir Julian Hartley, NHS Providers chief executive, welcomed the policy plans made in the King’s Speech, particularly the reforms to the Mental Health Act and reforms to social care.
“Trust leaders welcomed a Labour manifesto promise to make mental health services a priority,” he said. “They welcome, too, plans to improve the NHS, to seek to reduce waiting times and focus on prevention.”
Sir Julian added, however, that the social care sector needs “more resource and urgent reform”, and joined union leaders in calling for the full implementation of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Meanwhile, other health leaders particularly welcomed the smoking ban.
The Association of Directors of Public Health president Greg Fell described the new bill as potentially the “greatest piece of public health legislation in a generation”.
“No other product kills up to two thirds of its users when used according to the manufacturers’ instructions,” said Mr Fell.
“This legislation will protect the next generation from ever becoming addicted to this lethal product and do more to narrow the unacceptably large gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions than any other single measure.”
Meanwhile, Teenage Cancer Trust Kate Collins praised upcoming improvements to child and adolescent mental health, but pointed out the absence of secondary care for young cancer patients.
“[The government] must now ensure that teenagers and young adults with cancer are considered in all of these plans,” she said.
“Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer and by 2030 this number is expected to rise to ten.”
Ms Collins added: “Young people need the government to create a long-term cancer strategy that includes a commitment to ensure teenagers and young adults are diagnosed faster, can access expert mental health support, have access to life-saving clinical trials, and are offered appropriate treatment to preserve their fertility.
The King’s Speech announced several dozen other upcoming bills the government intends to implement, including limited nationalisation of public transport, green energy investment, border force changes, football regulation, tenants’ rights improvements and many others.
