The NHS needs to change fundamentally. It's a fragmented service when it should be joined-up. It's a last-minute crisis intervention service when it should be about prevention. It's a sickness service when it should have promoting health as its core. Crucially, it doesn't do enough to help people to help themselves.

The quote by Liz Kendall addresses the need for a fundamental change in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. She critiques its current structure, pointing out that the NHS is a fragmented service, which means it operates in isolated parts rather than as a cohesive, unified system. According to Kendall, the NHS should be more joined-up, ensuring seamless coordination across different services and providers to improve patient care and outcomes.

Kendall also highlights the NHS’s tendency to focus on crisis intervention rather than prevention. She argues that it predominantly serves as a reactive system, intervening only when people are already sick or in urgent need of care. Instead, the NHS should emphasize preventive measures, helping people avoid illnesses in the first place through education, early intervention, and promoting healthier lifestyles.

The quote further stresses that the NHS is primarily a sickness service, focused on treating illness, but it should also have health promotion at its core. This shift in focus would involve not just treating diseases, but actively helping individuals and communities lead healthier lives. Kendall suggests that the NHS needs to evolve to offer more holistic care, preventing illness and promoting well-being.

Finally, Kendall points out that the NHS does not do enough to empower individuals to help themselves. By this, she means that the system should encourage self-care and equip people with the tools and knowledge they need to maintain their health. This includes promoting lifestyle changes, self-management of chronic conditions, and a greater sense of personal responsibility for one’s own health.