Boots and Specsavers to take over NHS care

Telegraph

14 hours ago

Companies such as Boots and Specsavers will offer more NHS care under plans to shift services onto the high street.
Wes Streeting said a 10-year health plan would set out a much greater role for private companies in carrying out checks normally done in hospital.
The Health Secretary also said shifting care out of hospitals into the community would mean more services in shopping areas, close to people's homes, to make them more convenient.
Mr Streeting said: 'There's definitely a role for high street players like Boots and Specsavers to help cut NHS waiting lists and to help provide great care and services and advice to patients as part of the wider primary care team.'
Under the plans, GPs will take a bigger role leading neighbourhood health services, which could bring a range of services together.
This could result in pharmacies offering a wider range of checks and services, and high street opticians carrying out assessments and diagnostics for common eye conditions, he suggested.
Mr Streeting said the plans would aim to create 'a real partnership between GPs and other parts of the primary care system' – instead of them scrapping over resources.
He said the shift away from hospitals would see more NHS services, including those run directly by the NHS, on the high street.
Last year the NHS launched a scheme that means people can consult pharmacists about seven common conditions – including sore throats, earache and urinary tract infections – instead of having to make an appointment with a doctor.
Health officials are looking to expand the role of pharmacists further, dealing with a wider range of conditions, relieving pressures on GP surgeries.
Hospitals could also take over the running of GP practices, as part of efforts to improve access to care across neighbourhoods.
Last week the Health Secretary said he would not shrink from leaning more heavily on the private sector to improve access to NHS care.
Wes Streeting said he 'refused to be bound by outdated ideological battles', saying using independent hospitals to provide taxpayer-funded care did not contradict the principles of the health service.
Writing for The Telegraph he said he would fight for the future of the NHS, warning of a 'national emergency' facing the country.
Mr Streeting made the comments as new figures showed that almost 1.4 million people have had private care on the NHS since Labour won the election.
Next week he will launch a 10-year plan for the NHS, which promises three major shifts – from hospital to community, from analogue to digital and from treating sickness to prevention, with private sector involvement expected to play a key role.
Elsewhere under the plans, patients will be able to refer themselves for therapy through the NHS app.
Instead of having to turn to costly mental health apps, the NHS app 'offers a free service built by trusted clinicians', according to a spokesman.
Some 6,700 more mental health workers have been recruited since July 2024.
Mr Streeting said: 'Not getting the right support for your mental health isn't just debilitating, it can hit a painful pause button on your life – stopping you working, enjoying time with family and friends, or living day-to-day life.
'Patients have faced the crisis of access to mental health services for far too long, and this Government is determined to change that through our Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS.
'That's why we're putting digital front doors on mental health services for patients up and down the country and harnessing technology to provide 24-hour care. And we're creating more opportunities for support not just through the NHS App but through care in your community too.
'We are already over halfway towards our target of recruiting 8,500 extra mental health workers, and through our upcoming 10 year health plan we will get more people back to health and back to work.'