National Voices’ Response to the King’s Speech
- Hospital waiting lists
- Health inequalities
- Lived experience
Today, HM the King set out the legislative agenda from the new government, based upon the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all. We were encouraged to see an overall focus on raising living standards, as the close link between poverty and health cannot be denied.
More broadly, on the NHS, we heard a commitment to improve it as a service for all, by improving waiting times and with a focus on prevention. It is crucial to address the long waits faced by people for care, but this must be paired with adequate support for people while they wait. We stand ready to support the government as they embark on the next crucial five years.
We were delighted to hear that the government is committed to reintroducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will ensure that the next generation of young people are unable to purchase cigarettes and therefore will avoid the misery of addiction. Smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death globally, and should have no place in our country’s future.
We also know that people in lower-paid jobs are much more likely to smoke than people with higher-paid jobs, and that unemployed people are more likely to smoke than employed people. These are factors that directly contribute to health inequalities. We stand ready to help support this bold and important legislation.
We were also encouraged to see that a focus on mental health was high on the agenda. According to Mind, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England.
Plans to overhaul the Mental Health Act are welcome, with the aim of making it fit for the 21st century. The legislation in its current form is unsuitable, and in practice often results in well documented discrimination faced by Black people, people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
The review and update of this legislation is a key opportunity to involve people with lived experience of mental health conditions and learning disabilities in its development and implementation.