All of us deserve an NHS we can rely on. But over a decade of underinvestment, fragmentation and neglect have left it struggling to cope.

The general election in 2024 could and should have marked a turning point for our NHS. Yet so far, the Labour government has not committed to the policies that are truly needed to get the NHS back on its feet. 

What happens next is up to us all, and how we fight to save our NHS.

With millions languishing on waiting lists, deadly delays to urgent care and burnt out staff leaving in their thousands, the crisis in our NHS could not be more stark. 

Meanwhile, private healthcare is booming. Record numbers of patients are being forced to pay out of pocket in order to be seen quicker. Private providers are being paid enormous sums to deliver procedures that should be done by the NHS. Big pharma and big tech are ripping off our NHS and gaining ever-growing control over how it’s run.

Yet the government is not offering real solutions to tackle this crisis. We urgently need increased investment, fair pay for NHS staff, and an end to the outsourcing of NHS services. 

We have a plan to challenge politicians over their inaction, using powerful patient stories which can go viral, grab media headlines, and maximise political pressure so that we can win a better future for our NHS.

But this strategy will only work if enough of us step up to make it happen. Read on to find out more about the plan, and how you can get involved!

Forcing politicians to back policies which can transform our NHS might seem like a big ask. But if we follow a smart strategy - we can do it. Here’s what we know: 

We know that the NHS is consistently a top issue for voters. The scale of the NHS crisis means that millions of people are being impacted. Polling in 2024 found that 70% of voters were more likely to support an election candidate that’s committed to increasing investment in the NHS. Just Treatment is a firmly non-partisan campaign - this isn’t about convincing people to vote a certain way. It’s about highlighting where politicians are failing to get behind the solutions our NHS so desperately needs, and pressuring them to shift their approach.

We know that politicians care about keeping their jobs, and therefore care about media image. British politics is in a period of major turbulence, which means that the jobs of many politicians are far from safe. With the NHS one of the top issues on voters' minds, politicians across the political spectrum are vulnerable to negative stories that portray their positions on health policy as harmful or inadequate. 

We know that human stories are one of the most powerful tools for grabbing headlines. We’ve seen time and again that when politicians come face-to-face with powerful stories from people they are supposed to represent, it can go viral online and become a headline news story that reaches millions and sets the political agenda. We will build on our track record of supporting ordinary people to confront politicians directly, in order to demonstrate the disconnect between public anger and their failures to tackle the NHS crisis.

These three facts make us powerful. They give us leverage. They make politicians vulnerable to pressure from people. Our job is to build that pressure and use it to force action.

In light of these crucial facts, these are the tools and tactics that have the power to win change for our NHS:

We will identify powerful NHS stories and support patients to share them. We’ll work with a group of people who have been seriously impacted by the near collapse of NHS systems over the last few years, and we will train them up to speak confidently about their story in public, as well as the real solutions our NHS desperately needs - increased investment, fair pay for staff, and a reversal of privatisation.

We will target influential politicians - both inside and outside government. To maximise our impact, we will focus our efforts on high profile politicians and those who have a direct connection to health policy, both inside Labour and beyond. We’ll identify opportunities for patients and loved ones to challenge these politicians face-to-face and support them to hold truth to power. 

We will use the press and social media to amplify our impact. By using video content and media channels we can spread the word about our patient-led actions and demands, spark debate and shift the public conversation on healthcare policy such that investing in the NHS and reversing privatisation becomes politically mainstream. 

We will work closely with allies to make our collective voice even louder. We know that forcing action on the NHS crisis is a big task - one that cannot be achieved by a single organisation alone. That’s why we will continue to work closely with other NHS campaigning groups to coordinate our plans and collaborate on key actions wherever we can. 

That’s it. Our strategy will create viral media moments by supporting patients and families failed by the NHS crisis to directly engage and pressure politicians. In doing so, we will capture the public imagination and make our demands for change impossible to ignore!

• Share a story - or help us find one. We know there are many people out there with extremely powerful NHS stories to share, but it’s not always easy to find them. If this applies to you, and you’re up for working with us to challenge politicians, please share your story using our simple form. If this doesn’t apply to you, but you have a friend or a loved one with a powerful story, please share the form with them!

• Donate to fund this plan. The truth is that this vital plan requires resource. It costs money to train patients to tell their stories, help them get placed in the media, fund transport to key events and generate viral digital content. We’re relying on donations from generous supporters to enable this work. If you’re able to help, please chip in today!

• Join our mailing list. From signing petitions and sharing content online, to writing to MPs and attending in-person events, there are plenty of actions we need people to take throughout this campaign. Join our mailing list to get all the latest news and updates!