Sir Keir Starmer will today set out plans for a sweeping overhaul of the NHS, pledging to create an “online hospital” designed to tackle waiting times and deliver millions of additional appointments.
In his keynote address to the Labour Party conference later today (Sept 30, 2pm), the prime minister will confirm that the new platform – NHS Online – is scheduled to launch in 2027. Through the service, patients will be able to book scans and tests, order repeat prescriptions, receive clinical advice, and manage appointments via the existing NHS app.
Labour insists the initiative will generate as many as 8.5 million extra appointments in its first three years, while also allowing patients to arrange face-to-face procedures at local hospitals, surgical hubs and diagnostic centres. The party argues the measure will cut delays and bring the health service into a new technological era.
Describing the move as “a new chapter in the story of our NHS”, Sir Keir will frame the policy as central to his vision of a fairer Britain.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, speaking ahead of the announcement, said the NHS risked an “existential threat” unless it adapted. “Our health service and our social care services need to change with the times,” he added, stressing Labour’s commitment to embracing innovation.
A pivotal moment for the prime minister
The prime minister’s address, scheduled for 2pm, comes at a politically charged moment. With Reform UK climbing in the polls, Sir Keir is under pressure to re-energise his party and sharpen his pitch to voters.
He will warn that Britain stands at a “fork in the road”, offering a stark choice between “renewal or decline”. “Britain stands at a fork in the road. We can choose decency. Or we can choose division,” he will say.
Sir Keir is expected to compare the scale of today’s challenges with those faced by Clement Attlee’s post-war government, casting the task as nothing less than a battle for “the soul of our country”. He will also urge voters to reject what he describes as the “politics of grievance” promoted by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, and instead unite around “dignity and respect”.
Political pressures mount
The speech comes against a backdrop of growing headwinds for Labour. The party is under mounting scrutiny over its stance on tax, immigration and public spending, with expectations of a difficult budget in November.
Sir Keir is likely to acknowledge the tough road ahead, warning that renewal will require “decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party”.
Speculation over his leadership, fanned by criticism from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, has added to the pressure. Yet Sir Keir appears determined to reassert his authority and steady his party’s course.
The Conservatives, however, have already dismissed the address. Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Keir Starmer calls this a fork in the road, but he’s already driven Britain into a cul-de-sac of chaos.”
Conference spotlight
The prime minister’s speech follows a series of high-profile contributions at the Labour conference in Liverpool. On Monday, 10 cabinet ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves, addressed delegates, with Reeves warning that Reform posed a serious threat to the economy.
Today’s agenda will see further speeches from Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, and Mr Streeting, before Sir Keir takes to the stage.
