RSM President reacts to Lord Darzi report on the NHS

Professor Gillian Leng CBE, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, has welcomed an independent review into the state of the NHS published today, while warning that difficult choices will have to be made to secure its future.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS in July 2024, to provide an expert understanding of the current performance of the NHS across England and the challenges facing the healthcare system. The RSM was one of a number of organisations in the sector which formed the expert reference group for the report, which states that while the service’s ‘vital signs are strong’, its workforce must be re-energised to raise productivity.

Commenting on Lord Darzi’s findings, Professor Leng said:

“Lord Darzi’s report on the future of the NHS highlights some crucial issues that need to be urgently addressed.

“Health inequalities have widened and as a result, we now have a population that has become less healthy, and a workforce that has become less productive. As a country, we must reprioritise our spending to address this.

“This report is an excellent start to identifying key issues and I look forward to further engagement on creating long-term sustainable solutions.  In particular, where difficult choices have to be made on what can and cannot be funded, we need a new process that takes public opinion into account.”

The Royal Society of Medicine will continue to play our part in securing the future of the NHS for both those working in healthcare and the patients it serves through our educational programme and learning opportunities.