UK Streeting Slams NHS 'Culture of Cover-Up' and Vows Transparency in Health Reform

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Streeting Slams NHS 'Culture of Cover-Up' and Vows Transparency in Health Reform

 

The NHS has been gripped by a damaging “culture of cover-up” that must end, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has pledged to make patient safety a central focus in the government’s upcoming 10-year health plan. Acknowledging persistent failures in the system, Streeting promised there would be “no more turning a blind eye to failure.”

 

Streeting’s admission came during a Commons exchange in which Labour MP Perran Moon highlighted the harrowing experience of one of his constituents. “A couple of weeks ago at my constituency surgery, through the tears, my constituent Amy explained how, following a hip operation in 2008, she suffered progressive nerve damage due to repeated failures in diagnosis, referral and treatment,” Moon told MPs.

 

Despite raising concerns over many years, Amy’s suffering was dismissed. “She was told her pain was common,” Moon said. It was not until 2015 that a nerve test confirmed lasting damage, and further tests in 2023 revealed a significant deterioration. “After 17 years, she’s only now been offered surgery,” he said. “All Amy wants to know is what steps are being taken to ensure that no other patient is left permanently disabled due to such long and systemic failures.”

 

Streeting responded with an apology and a stark acknowledgment of wider systemic issues: “Can I first of all, on behalf of the NHS, apologise to his constituent. That is a totally intolerable situation, but sadly not rare or exceptional. There’s too much of that happening, and a culture of cover-up and covering reputations rather than being honest with patients about failures.”

 

He stressed that cultural change is a key priority for the government’s health strategy. “We are changing the culture – safety is at the heart of the 10-year plan – and I’d be delighted to talk to him further about his constituent’s case,” Streeting said.

 

The new long-term plan, due to be unveiled within weeks, will outline three major shifts in the way NHS services are delivered: a move from hospitals to community care, from analogue systems to digital infrastructure, and from reactive treatment to preventative care. These changes follow a record £29 billion funding boost for the NHS in the most recent spending review.

 

Streeting has made clear that transparency and accountability will be central to his reforms. He intends to introduce NHS league tables to expose underperformance, stating that patients are entitled to “far more transparency” when it comes to failures in care. His broader ambition is to evolve the NHS into a “neighbourhood health service,” reallocating more resources from hospitals to GP surgeries and community-based care.

 

In a further effort to drive improvements, the government announced last month that it will offer bonuses of up to £30,000 to health leaders who deliver “exceptional results.” This incentive scheme is part of a broader initiative to overhaul NHS performance and ensure patients are no longer left behind by systemic inefficiencies.

 

Streeting’s comments signal a decisive break from past practices of denial and silence around medical failures. With the forthcoming 10-year plan, the government hopes to reset the relationship between the health service and the public, placing honesty, safety, and community care at the forefront.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-06-19