Reviews / 2024
Independent investigation of the NHS in England
Lord Darzi of Denham · work from 2024 · published 2024
What this was
Rapid investigation of the state of the NHS in England, published in September 2024. It diagnosed falling access, missed targets, a disengaged workforce, underinvestment in capital, and the unfinished business of social care. It was written to set the terms of a ten-year plan rather than to list new operational recommendations.
Why it sits in the hub
It is the bridge from the inquiry era to the 10 Year Health Plan. The three shifts it framed — hospital to community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention — are now the plan's structure.
Findings
Finding 1
Public satisfaction and access had deteriorated, including waits for elective care, GP appointments, mental health and cancer.
Finding 2
Capital starvation, the 2012 reforms, social care, and the pandemic had all contributed, alongside a fall in productivity.
Finding 3
Staff were working in a system that had lost its sense of direction on quality.
Recommendations in this hub
Paraphrase of the public recommendations, not the official text.
- 1AcceptedGovernment
Use the diagnosis as the brief for a ten-year plan built on community, digital and prevention.
The 10 Year Health Plan was published in July 2025.
- 2In progressGovernment and NHS
Treat productivity and capital as quality issues, not only as finance issues.