Responding to the King’s Speech, Ellie Orton OBE, CEO of NHS Charities Together, said: 

“We are pleased to see the UK Government reaffirm its commitment to improving the NHS in today’s King’s Speech, as set out in the Labour Party’s manifesto before they were elected. We would welcome more detail as to how positive change will be achieved swiftly and collaboratively. The NHS and its staff are under pressure like never before with unprecedented staff shortages while demand continues to rise.  

“It is encouraging to see that there will be a greater focus on improving mental health. We hope that this will include greater emphasis on supporting mental health in the NHS workforce. Our recent data shows that more than 3 in 4 NHS staff surveyed last winter reported experiencing poor mental health in the past year. We launched our £16m flagship Workforce Wellbeing Programme in May 2024, with £5m investment from NHS England. But together, we can go even further. 

“There is much work for our new UK Government to do to safeguard our NHS for future generations. Our diverse network of over 200 UK-wide NHS charities is working hard to help ease pressure on the NHS, break down barriers to access and improve healthcare for patients and staff. We look forward to working closely with the new UK Government, growing the extra support NHS charities provide to staff, volunteers, patients and communities; and collectively working towards a brighter future for our much-loved NHS.”