Government to set out NHS reforms for patients to benefit from improved and personalised care

Patients will be given greater control and choice over their care in a raft of reforms aimed at improving the NHS.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to set out the reforms on Tuesday, which include giving patients more choice if waiting times are long, expanding personalised care and health budgets, and the increased use of the NHS app.

'I choose reform'

"Those are the long-term challenges the NHS must adapt to: changing demographics and disease; changing technology and expectations; and unsustainable finances," Mr Javid will say.

"Taken together, it's clear we were always going to come to a crossroads: a point where we must choose between endlessly putting in more and more money, or reforming how we do healthcare."

He added: "There were major challenges before the pandemic.

"Pressures in social care were rising substantially too.

"But without the pandemic, the COVID backlogs, an even more stretched workforce and other new pressures, that choice might have been many years down the line.

"The shock of COVID and the urgent need for recovery has brought us to this crossroads right now.

"I choose reform."

Levy to raise almost £36bn for NHS

The Health and Social Care Levy will come into force in April, raising almost £36bn over the next three years for health and social services.

Meanwhile, by the end of this year all patients who have been waiting 18 months or more will be contacted to discuss the choices available about changing provider.

And over four million people are set to benefit from the expansion of personalised care.

A digital future

The NHS has also set a target of getting 75% of all adults in England to be using its app by March 2024. It says the app will make it easier for people to book appointments, communicate with health providers and see test results.

Electronic records will also be rolled out to 90% of trusts by December 2023 and 80% of social care providers by March 2024.