Statement in response to Lord Darzi review

Responding to the Darzi Review findings, Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory said:

“The government has taken the first necessary step in outlining the scale of the challenge for the NHS and will now work to delivering a 10-year plan for reform and modernisation. We find ourselves at a crucial turning point for the NHS with this review, and the 10-year plan that will follow it, setting out the priorities that the health service will be expected to adopt. Politicians and NHS leaders will need to make tough choices on what should be focussed on in the short and long term as part of the reform plans.

“Amongst the many challenges outlined, the review has rightly shone a light on ethnic inequalities in healthcare and unwarranted variation in relation to access, quality of and outcomes from NHS services across England. The Covid-19 pandemic was the latest reminder to us all of the stark ethnic inequalities in health and healthcare for our patients, communities and NHS staff. The fact is that the NHS cannot afford the cost to patient lives and staff well-being that come from the inequalities that we see – and of course, these challenges are not unrelated to other pressures outlined in the report.

“The Observatory contributed to the Darzi Review and it’s promising to see some focus in the report on ethnic inequalities in health; this should now be the start of concerted action to mobilise evidence and enable change. An equitable healthcare system will be more efficient, lead to an engaged workforce and better outcomes for all patients. It will also be more productive and cost the tax payer less. The NHS Race and Health Observatory is committed to supporting the government in delivering the long-term, coordinated approach.”