Intended for healthcare professionals
The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS
In its 75th year, the NHS has never been in a deeper crisis, and although the problems may seem insoluble, we believe that the central premise of the NHS – a health service free at the point of care for all the population – is worth fighting for. It is possible to create a vision for a society that prioritises outcomes related to health and wellbeing with the NHS at the heart of it.
The purpose of our NHS Commission is to identify key areas for analysis and bring those together in a publicly available report by January 2024.
Our commission will lay out that vision and make recommendations as to how we get there.
Editor's choice
The BMJ’s Commission on the Future of the NHS
From issue 8381 by Kamran Abbasi
Editorial
The BMJ’s NHS commission: an emphatic recommitment to the founding principles
The first report of the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS calls for the declaration of a national health and care emergency and an urgent reset for the NHS
Analysis
The NHS founding principles are still appropriate today and provide a strong foundation for the future
The vision of a comprehensive health service is as relevant today as in the 1940s, but new and different societal challenges require a rethink on how to deliver the NHS as it faces a national health and care emergency
NHS funding for a secure future
Demands on the NHS continue to increase, and difficult decisions have to be made on how much we want to spend and how to finance that spending to ensure its stability
The future of the NHS depends on its workforce
The future of the NHS depends on the people who work in it, so workforce stewardship should be a key priority
NHS and the whole of society must act on social determinants of health for a healthier future
Health is going in the wrong direction in the UK, and reversing the trend requires political and societal commitment to deal with the underlying causes
Sustainability is critical for future proofing the NHS
Interventions that consider climate change, sustainability, and nature should be integral to health system functioning. Placing sustainability at the core of the NHS’s future offers opportunities to deliver better services, support healthier populations, and save costs.
