Autumn Budget: Reeves pledges local NHS care and £300m tech boost
Rachel Reeves today unveiled a major NHS shake-up in her Autumn Budget, promising faster, local treatment and a tech-driven productivity boost.
“We will renew our national health service”, Reeves claimed, highlighting a dual approach aimed at cutting waiting times while modernising frontline services.
At the centre of the plan are 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres, which will bring GPs, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists together under one roof, particularly in deprived areas.
“We’re driving down waiting lists by bringing healthcare to patients’ doorsteps,” Reeves argued.
The centres will initially focus on improving access to general practice and supporting patients with complex, long-term conditions, such as diabetes and heart failure, with plans to expand services over time.
This initiative is intended to end the postcode lottery of care and provide more outpatient services outside hospitals, freeing space for clinical capacity.
Tech investment to boost productivity
Reeves also confirmed £300m in NHS technology investment, aimed at boosting staff productivity and freeing clinicians to focus on patient care
The funding will support digital tools to automate administrative tasks, improve access to patient records, and enhance communication between staff.
“Our record investment, combined with ruthless efficiency and reform, will deliver the better care and better outcomes our NHS patients deserve,” Reeves said.
Hospital productivity has already risen 2.4 per cent this year, and the Treasury expects these efficiency gains to unlock £17bn over the next three years to reinvest in patient care.
Health-tech suppliers point to early pilots, such as Philips’ remote-support MRI programme, as proof that digital innovation can expand capacity and reduce waiting times.
The chancellor also noted that NHS waiting lists have fallen by 230,000 since Labour came into office, though median waiting times remain a key focus for patients.
Reeves stressed that targeted investments in neighbourhood centres and digital infrastructure are essential to sustaining long-term improvements across the health service.