10th January 2024
Today, Alison Morton, iHV CEO, will be joining health leaders in Manchester to hear from Sir Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting about the UK Labour Party’s plans to improve the health of our nation. Sir Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting are expected to outline their plans and the party’s commitment to ensure that all children have the building block for a healthy life.
Keir Starmer will launch Labour’s Health Mission Tour in Manchester with a speech to CEOs, Chairs and Presidents from Royal Colleges, the NHS, and local and national health charities at a reception in central Manchester with Labour Mayor Andy Burnham, local MPs and members of Labour’s Shadow Health team also in attendance.
The reception marks the first in a series of health-focused visits in the North West where Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting will set out Labour’s Health Mission.
Charities represented at the event include the British Heart Foundation, Age UK, Rethink, Alzheimer’s UK, the Stroke Association and the Institute of Health Visiting. A range of Royal Colleges and staff representatives will also be in attendance including the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians, and the GMB. NHS leaders and sector bodies will also join the event including CEOs of NHS Trusts and representatives from the Patients Association, health think tanks, NHS Confederation and NHS Providers.
Labour representatives attending the event include: Keir Starmer, Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham, Preet Gill, Alison McGovern, Andrew Gwynne, Karin Smyth and Bev Craig (Leader of Manchester City Council).
Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting says:
“We have campaigned, alongside hundreds of other leading organisations and charities working with families, for investment to ensure that every child really does have the best start in life. The Labour Party’s commitment to build a future where all children can thrive is very welcome and urgently needed. Getting it right at the start of life will be a critical first step in building strong foundations for health that can last a lifetime.
“This reform is long overdue, as hundreds of thousands of babies and young children are currently not getting the support that they need. We have a poor state of child health across our nation compared to most other similar nations and too many lives are being unnecessarily harmed or cut short. It doesn’t have to be this way, change is possible.
“Health visitors have an important role to play, working with families to prevent, identify and treat problems before they reach crisis point. The Labour Party’s commitment to grow the health visitor workforce is essential to rebuild the service after eight years of cuts that have led to a 40% reduction in the number of health visitors in England. When sufficiently resourced, health visitors can take pressure off busy A&E departments and primary care, providing support for families in the heart of the community.
“Investing in our children’s health is not only the right thing to do, it also makes sound economic sense.”
