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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recently published Lord Darzi's report on the state of NHS England, revealing that the health service is in "serious trouble." "The service has been chronically weakened by a lack of capital investment, which has lagged behind other similar countries by tens of billions of pounds," he stated. Shortly after taking office, Health Secretary Wes Streeting commissioned an independent investigation to assess the challenges facing the healthcare system in preparation for a new 10-year health plan. Former surgeon Lord Ara Darzi was appointed to lead this review. In his report, Lord Darzi pointed out that the NHS has failed to meet key promises made to the public since 2015, and patient satisfaction is now at its "lowest ever level." Rising waiting times and difficulties accessing GPs were highlighted as major concerns. "There are huge and unwarranted variations in the number of patients per GP, and shortages are particularly acute in deprived communities," he said. Lord Darzi described the state of A&E as "awful," noting that nearly 10% of patients wait 12 hours or more today.

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has submitted evidence to Lord Darzi's investigation into NHS performance, highlighting the sector's value, challenges, and potential opportunities. Professor Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham, is leading the investigation, which has been commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to examine the challenges facing the healthcare system ahead of the development of a new 10-year plan for health. The investigation's findings are expected to be published in September 2024. As the sector's representative body, CPE has provided evidence to ensure that the performance and challenges faced by community pharmacies are considered as part of his review. Their submission, based on internal analysis and independent reports, highlighted the severe funding crisis facing the sector, which is significantly impairing access to care for those most in need.