Lord Darzi’s report on the state of the NHS in England is the focus of many of the newspapers for Thursday. The report, commissioned by the new government, has found the NHS to be in a “critical condition” with a “shocking deterioration in the nation’s health”, according to the Daily Mirror. A&E waiting times have increased significantly since 2009, with patients typically having 100 people ahead of them in the queue, up from 40. The Guardian calls Lord Darzi’s report a “scathing indictment of the Conservatives’ 14-year stewardship of the NHS”, but also warns that it will take longer than five years to get treatment waiting times back on track – the promised timeframe that Labour gave before the election.
The Daily Telegraph describes the report as “damning” and notes that NHS hospitals are doing less work for patients despite receiving more money than ever. The report reveals that waiting times are significantly longer than in previous years. The Daily Mail, on the other hand, focuses on Sir Keir Starmer’s upcoming speech on the NHS and says that the prime minister will unveil a decade-long reform plan to overhaul the health service, including shifting billions of pounds from inefficient hospitals to community care. The paper questions whether Boris Johnson can fulfill his plans, whilst also stating that the Tories have accused Health Secretary Wes Streeting of laying the groundwork for tax rises at the Budget.
Sir Keir Starmer’s speech is also the focus of the Daily Express, which reports that the opposition leader will give a stark warning that the NHS must “reform or die”. He is expected to describe the decline of the health service as “unforgivable”. Meanwhile, the i newspaper says that the NHS reforms will mark the biggest overhaul since its creation. The paper mentions that weight loss drugs are likely to be an important part of the reforms, in addition to more treatment in the community via nurses, GPs, and pharmacists.
In other news, the Financial Times reports on the aftermath of the first debate between Donald Trump and presidential rival Kamala Harris. The paper says that the president’s campaign is “reeling” following his “poor” performance, with Republicans feeling exasperated at his unpreparedness, being outplayed, and delivering an “erratic” message. One pollster tells the paper that Trump now has “no choice” but to seek another televised debate to “recover”. Finally, the story of Oliver Campbell’s exoneration after being convicted of murder 33 years ago leads the Metro, which describes the case as one of Britain’s worst miscarriages of justice
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