Whoever forms the next government will need to deal with an NHS in crisis. Pre-existing challenges of growing demand, an ageing population, and high levels of staff vacancies have been exacerbated by the pandemic, resulting in record backlogs and waiting times.  

With substantial increases in hospital funding and staffing failing to turn performance round, the next government will need to help the NHS through the immediate crisis, set it on a sustainable long-term footing and consider the need for more fundamental reform.  

Should the NHS focus more on preventing, rather than treating, illness? Could the NHS become more local? Are the new integrated care systems working or should they be reformed? How successful have past NHS reforms been? And how much appetite is there for reform in the NHS?  

To answer these questions and more we will be joined by an expert panel, including:

• Karin Smyth MP, Shadow Minister for Health
• Lord Bethell, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care  
• Penny Dash, Chair of NW London ICB
• Marie-Andrée Gamache, President & Managing Director UK & Ireland of Novartis

The event will be chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event is kindly supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK.