Prime Minister outlines NHS reform plan at South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre

On 6 January 2025, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting visited the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) to unveil the government’s strategy for addressing NHS waiting lists. During the visit, the Prime Minister toured the centre, met with staff and patients, and delivered a speech outlining his vision for transforming the NHS.

SWLEOC, a leading centre of excellence in orthopaedics, was chosen for this announcement due to its success in combining innovation and efficiency to enhance patient care. As a trusted partner, Definition Health is proud to support SWLEOC with digital health solutions that optimise preoperative assessments and post-operative care, enabling the centre to deliver outstanding results. The Prime Minister commended the centre for its achievements, highlighting that “60% of patients go home just hours after undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery.” This level of efficiency has set a benchmark for elective care, demonstrating the role of digital health solutions in reducing waiting times.

Tackling the NHS backlog

In his speech, the Prime Minister outlined the government’s plan to address the challenges posed by the NHS backlog. This ambitious strategy aims to reduce waiting times and improve access to care, ensuring that patients receive timely and efficient treatment. By focusing on key reforms and investments, the government is seeking to rebuild the NHS into a more resilient and patient-centred system.

The Prime Minister emphasised the urgency of addressing the 7.5 million people currently on NHS waiting lists. “When waiting lists have ballooned, we cannot allow outdated systems to stand in the way of progress,” he stated. A key objective of the reform plan is to restore the NHS’s 18-week referral-to-treatment target. 

The government has set out a series of measures to achieve this goal, including establishing 17 new elective surgical hubs by June, with more expected in the coming years, supported by the £1.5bn capital investment confirmed at the Autumn budget. These hubs will increase capacity and protect planned care from seasonal pressures. Additionally, community diagnostic services will be enhanced to provide quicker and more convenient access to tests and screenings through innovative care models like one-stop clinics. To further expand capacity, private healthcare providers will treat NHS patients in high-demand specialties such as orthopaedics and gynaecology, ensuring care remains free at the point of use. Finally, digital health solutions will be integrated to reduce inefficiencies and optimise care delivery.

These measures aim to not only tackle the backlog but also lay the groundwork for a more efficient and patient-centred NHS. Under the plan, 65% of patients will be treated within 18 weeks by the end of next year. Based on the size of the current waiting list, that would mean a fall of more than 450,000 people waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment. “NHS staff have worked tirelessly to bring down the longest waits, treating record numbers of elective patients last year,” NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard stated. “This ambitious blueprint will build on our progress and support hardworking NHS staff to deliver faster routine care for patients.”

Harnessing the power of digital innovation

Technology is at the heart of the government’s vision for modernising the NHS. The Prime Minister outlined this focus, stating: “Harnessing the benefits of new technology and AI is a central part of the government’s mission to rebuild the NHS. Together we will save lives and improve care beyond belief.”

The reform plan includes support for healthcare providers to adopt innovative tools that tackle inefficiencies and improve outcomes including AI-powered systems to predict patient outcomes, remote monitoring technologies to enable patients to share health data from home, and virtual care platforms that personalise patient pathways. These advancements will ensure that care is allocated based on clinical need, freeing up resources and enhancing efficiency. “Focused action across the healthcare system—including drawing on AI — will help save up to 1 million appointments” the Prime Minister added. “This is about doing things differently to deliver better outcomes for patients.”

SWLEOC exemplifies how digital tools can transform healthcare delivery. By using digital preoperative assessments and virtual wards, the centre has optimised patient journeys and reduced delays, showcasing the potential of innovation to address systemic challenges.

Orthopaedics at the forefront

Orthopaedics remains a significant focus of the government’s reform efforts, as over 40% of patients in this specialty currently wait longer than the 18-week target for treatment. The government’s vision includes replicating the successes of centres like SWLEOC across 17 new surgical hubs to ensure timely and effective care for orthopaedic patients nationwide. These hubs will focus on providing routine procedures like hip and knee replacements, ensuring that patients can access treatment without unnecessary delays.

The establishment of these hubs forms a cornerstone of the government’s plan to alleviate pressures in high-demand specialties. “The NHS should work around patients’ lives, not the other way around,” said Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting. “By expanding access to surgeries like hip and knee replacements in dedicated hubs, we can prioritise the care patients need and help them return to their daily lives more quickly.” By expanding capacity and streamlining services, these centres aim to reduce waiting times and improve outcomes for orthopaedic patients.

SWLEOC’s approach offers a blueprint for addressing these challenges. The centre’s award-winning use of digital innovation has streamlined care pathways and improved patient experiences. By adopting solutions such as digital preoperative assessments and virtual wards, SWLEOC has demonstrated how targeted reforms can alleviate pressures on the system.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting reinforced the importance of these reforms, stating: “Our Plan for Change set an ambitious target to cut wait times and bring care closer to home. We will achieve this by prioritising efficiency and choice for patients.”

Looking ahead

The Prime Minister’s speech set out a bold plan for addressing the NHS backlog, placing innovation, efficiency, and patient-centred care at the heart of the government’s vision. By investing in new hubs, expanding diagnostic capabilities, and leveraging digital health solutions, the reforms aim to create a resilient healthcare system equipped to meet the demands of the future.

The visit to SWLEOC highlighted how these principles can be successfully applied in practice. As a leading centre of excellence, SWLEOC exemplifies the impact of digital health solutions to improve outcomes and reduce delays. Definition Health is proud to support SWLEOC with our Smart Surgery Solution, demonstrating the transformative potential of innovation in healthcare. As the NHS embarks on this ambitious reform journey, Definition Health remains committed to partnering with healthcare providers to deliver tools that streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and improve outcomes. Together, we aim to contribute to the broader mission of building a modern, resilient NHS that meets the needs of patients today and in the future.