Given the current economic climate, the focus on growing the economy and the cost of living was expected. Measures included in the levelling up and regeneration bill, which will bring empty properties on the high street into use, are welcome and could provide opportunities to address estates issues for the NHS in line with the ambitions set out in our Health on the High Street report.
Building on the government’s recent levelling up white paper, the speech committed to setting levelling-up missions and providing an annual progress report. This will be a key tool in charting progress against the ambition to level up disparities in health outcomes – including narrowing the gap between areas with the highest and lowest healthy life expectancy (HLE) by 2030 and to have increased HLE by five years by 2035.
The bill will create a new model of combined authority, the County Deal, which will provide local leaders with powers to enhance local accountability and join up services. We expect these to prove a useful tool for integrated care systems (ICSs) as they establish integrated care partnerships (ICPs) and place-level arrangements. Ultimately, the success of ICSs and levelling up relies on local leaders and institutions working together, and as anchors, to benefit their areas economically and to improve population health. Disappointingly, the speech contained little to address the immediate cost-of-living crisis. Poverty is a key driver of poor mental and physical health, and can in turn lead to increased demand for the NHS. Our members from across the system, particularly in urgent and emergency and primary care, are seeing increased presentations related to the wider determinants of health. No material policy change nor new funding was announced to tackle the increasing elective care backlog. The recent Elective Recovery Care Plan set targets for the coming months and years to actively reduce the number of people waiting. The service has made considerable progress against its first target to eliminate all waits over 104 weeks by July this year. Nationally, the number was reduced by 33 per cent over the two months to April. However, there are further challenging deadlines set against record demands. GP appointments are now exceeding pre-pandemic levels, including supporting people on waiting lists to ‘wait well’. There are continued staff shortages as well as medically optimised patients unable to be discharged due to lack of capacity in the system.
We welcome the commitment to bring forward new mental health legislation. With more people being detained every year, accompanied by unacceptable disparities in rates of detention for some ethnic minorities, it is important that throughout the bill’s passage and its later implementation, we do not forget that reducing this disparity was one of the key drivers behind the reform. The bill will have positive and far-reaching impacts for patients, creating opportunities for them to challenge decisions made about their care, changing the criteria for detention, and removing having a learning disability or autism as grounds for detention. We are glad the government has listened to the sector and will now be completing pre-legislative scrutiny. The bill is complex and wide reaching and it is important we get this right. Implementation is key and our Mental Health Network and ICS Network members will need the resources and time to implement the legislation. The new duty on commissioners to ensure an adequate supply of community services for people with a learning disability and/or autism will be particularly challenging and will need targeted resourcing. There are also long-term capital funding implications for the NHS, and workforce needs for the NHS, local authorities and the criminal justice system that need to be addressed. The Mental Health Network published a useful summary of the key aspects of the reform last year.
We are pleased to see a commitment to banning so-called conversion therapy in the Queen’s Speech – but any ban must include all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and we expect that to include protections for trans people. Conversion therapy is considered by all psychological therapy and psychiatric professional bodies to be unethical, harmful and unsupported by evidence. It represents an unacceptable risk of serious harm to anyone who is struggling with their sexuality or gender and who may be particularly vulnerable at the point of seeking help. We support the government’s further work to also protect trans people from these harmful practices. We are disappointed that the government has not closed the loophole on consent for over 18s. In a survey of NHS leaders, it was agreed that consent is invalid for conversion practices and would create wriggle room that would leave vulnerable people subject to coercion and abuse.
The data reform bill will propose changes to the UK’s obligations under GDPR and will affect all sectors, including the NHS and the wider healthcare sector. Although the full contents of the bill are not known, they will be based on the government’s response to the data protection consultation, the publication of which is imminent. However, based on the proposals set out in the consultation and the commitment in the speech to ‘reform regulations’, we remain concerned about the legislative route, with NHS members preferring a guidance-based approach. This is due to the proposals outlined in the consultation being disproportionate, creating confusion rather than clarity, and demanding significant changes to research practices and resources to understand and implement the new legislation. Furthermore, if the bill diverges too far from the EU GDPR it could risk jeopardising the UK-EU data adequacy decision. The decision determines how aspects of cross-border health and social care are delivered, how patients access care, and governs how health data is shared for medical care and research purposes. Without a data adequacy agreement at the end of the transition period, there could be changes to many aspects of our cooperation with the EU on health including for access to reciprocal healthcare arrangements; protecting public health security; and providing continuity for medical research and innovation. Further information on data adequacy can be found in our briefing.
My Lords and members of the House of Commons. My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families. My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work. My Ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer, and fund the National Health Service to reduce the COVID backlogs. In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine. My Government will drive economic growth to improve living standards and fund sustainable investment in public services. This will be underpinned by a responsible approach to the public finances, reducing debt while reforming and cutting taxes. My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to its target. A Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success. The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development [Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill]. My Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovations. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers [Transport Bill]. My Ministers will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. This will build on the success of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year [Energy Security Bill]. Draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses will be published. Measures will also be published to create new competition rules for digital markets and the largest digital firms [Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill]. My Government will establish the UK Infrastructure Bank in legislation, with objectives to support economic growth and the delivery of net zero [UK Infrastructure Bank Bill]. Reforms to education will help every child fulfil their potential wherever they live, raising standards and improving the quality of schools and higher education [Schools Bill, Higher Education Bill]. My Ministers will publish draft legislation to reform the Mental Health Act [Draft Mental Health Act Reform Bill]. My Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed. A bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended [Brexit Freedoms Bill]. Public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses [Procurement Bill]. New legislation will strengthen the United Kingdom’s financial services industry, ensuring that it continues to act in the interest of all people and communities [Financial Services and Markets Bill]. The United Kingdom’s data protection regime will be reformed [Data Reform Bill]. My Government will continue to champion international trade, delivering jobs across the country and growing the economy. Legislation will be introduced to enable the implementation of the United Kingdom’s first new Free Trade Agreements since leaving the European Union [Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill]. My Ministers will encourage agricultural and scientific innovation at home. Legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production [Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill]. My Government will protect the integrity of the United Kingdom’s borders and ensure the safety of its people. My Ministers will take action to prevent dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and tackle the criminal gangs who profit from facilitating them. Legislation will be introduced to ensure the police have the powers to make the streets safer [Public Order Bill]. A bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow [Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill]. Measures will be introduced to support the security services and help them protect the United Kingdom [National Security Bill]. My Government will lead the way in championing security around the world. It will continue to invest in our gallant Armed Forces. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to maintain a united NATO and address the most pressing global security challenges. The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to my Government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts. My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past [Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill]. My Government will ensure the constitution is defended. My Ministers will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts by introducing a Bill of Rights [Bill of Rights]. Legislation will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion [Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Bill]. My Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes [Social Housing Regulation Bill]. Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy [Conversion Therapy Bill]. Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football. In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer. MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS Estimates for the public services will be laid before you. MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS Other measures will be laid before you. I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels. |
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