Hugh Alderwick
hughalderwick.bsky.social
Hugh Alderwick
@hughalderwick.bsky.social
Director of policy at the Health Foundation
Our new assessment of Labour's first year

Main story:

- Labour has set out a broad vision on the NHS
- But detail on how change will happen is lacking
- And resources to deliver are limited
- Standing back, it's hard to find a coherent policy agenda
- More reorganization will make it all harder
After a year in power, has the Labour government set the foundations for ‘saving’ the NHS and delivering the ‘deep reform’ it said social care needed?

This new analysis provides an overall assessment of the direction and potential impact so far.

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Labour’s first year
Our report looks at Labour's record so far and offers an overall assessment of government's reform agenda on the NHS and social care.
bit.ly
September 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Lessons from history for bringing NHS England back into the department
Following the decision to abolish NHS England, @agnesjuliet.bsky.social​ and @hughalderwick.bsky.social​ analyse the history of changes to NHS management, identify unresolved tensions that underpin them and set out implications for the latest round of reform.

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https://bit.ly/4mtiZB9
August 27, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Dazed and confused? Policy ideas behind the NHS 10 year plan

www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...
www.health.org.uk
July 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Policy exchange, backed by Sajid Javid, think we need to switch the NHS funding model to social insurance, and introduce new charges for NHS services, like to see a GP

policyexchange.org.uk/publication/...

These are not new ideas, but they are bad ideas

A thread with some evidence
The NHS – a Suitable Case for Treatment? - Policy Exchange
Download Publication Online Reader ‘The NHS – a Suitable Case for Treatment?’ makes the case that the NHS is not fit for purpose and is in urgent need of reform.The report finds that NHS performance r...
policyexchange.org.uk
July 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
1 in 5 care workers live in poverty—much higher than the average UK worker. Poverty is even worse for migrant workers in social care

New analysis @healthfoundation.bsky.social

www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...
www.health.org.uk
July 17, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Reposted by Hugh Alderwick
What’s been tried? A curated catalogue of efforts to improve access to general practice
➡️ doi.org/10.3399/BJGP...
‬Using 449 different sources, this review offers a comprehensive, thematically curated catalogue of attempts to improve access to general practice.
June 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Hugh Alderwick
🎧 @hughalderwick.bsky.social joins @thelancet.bsky.social podcast to explore the impact of Labour's health policies since coming to power last July.

Also hear Hugh's analysis on the balance between funding and reform, the role of AI, and improving access to primary care.

Listen now ⬇️
May 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
This morning on Today, #BBCRadio4 reported on our views on government abolishing NHS England

Here's the long version of what we think @bmj.com : www.bmj.com/content/388/...

Brief thread here with some key points:
Labour government scraps NHS England
Performative politics that will disrupt the health service when patients most need it On 13 March, the UK prime minister announced that the Labour government will scrap NHS England—the national body ...
www.bmj.com
March 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
New data suggest the public's top priority for the NHS is improving GP access

But government's headline NHS pledge is reducing elective waiting times

Hospitals risk crowding out other priorities

Polling @healthfoundation.bsky.social @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social: www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...
Things can only get better?
What does the public make of the new government’s early agenda for the NHS and social care? Have perceptions and expectations of NHS and care services changed? This analysis presents findings from the...
www.health.org.uk
February 25, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Government is writing a new 10 year plan for the NHS. (The NHS has a long history of long term plans…)

What should the latest plan do?

Short paper @bmj.com:

www.bmj.com/content/388/...

Longer one @healthfoundation.bsky.social:

www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...
Labour’s 10 year plan for the English NHS
Government must provide hope, clarity, and investment The NHS is in crisis after a decade of austerity, covid-19, and political failures since 2010 that weakened the health service and constrained wh...
www.bmj.com
February 18, 2025 at 7:18 PM