Message of hope from Sir James Mackey at The King's Fund annual conference 2025

Following Sir James Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England’s keynote speech at The King’s Fund annual conference today, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said:

‘Public satisfaction, winter pressures and building momentum were key themes today from the Chief Executive of the NHS. NHS public satisfaction is at an all-time low, driven by people not being able to get GP or hospital appointments when they need them. NHS staff surveys have also shown fewer than two thirds of NHS staff would be happy to recommend the standard of care to a friend or relative, so boosting workforce morale will be key to driving successful reforms and improvements to services. The government needs to seriously engage with how it rebuilds public and NHS employee trust, whilst at the same time shifting the balance of care away from hospitals and closer to our communities and homes.

‘An NHS that is fit for the future needs to be built up from firm foundations, which means focussing beyond structural reform of national and local NHS bodies, and getting the basics right. This means prioritising improving dysfunctional admin that puts people off seeking NHS care and making it easier for people to speak to a GP if they need to. It’s about unlocking efficiency through co-designing services with patients and sharing power with local leaders, not ‘doing to’ people and their communities.

‘Leaders need the courage to keep a focus on the longer-term prize that will be won if people can be kept healthy and treated out of hospital. With the NHS going through internal upheaval, and cuts being made across Integrated Care Boards these are uncertain and distracting times. Industrial disputes landing just as the NHS heads into what looks set to be a cruel winter, with flu cases being triple what they were this time last year, will also make it even harder to meet the standard of care patients deserve.

‘Despite these immediate and long-term challenges, there was a strong message of hope and leaders working together - a sentiment we share, and one that will be key to paving the way to a more sustainable and compassionate NHS.’

Notes to editors

For further information, or to request an interview, please contact The King's Fund media team on 020 7307 2585 or [email protected].

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve people's health. Our vision is a world where everyone can live a healthy life. Our mission is to inspire hope and build confidence for positive change. We achieve this through expert insights and original research, developing leaders and their organisations, convening, and strategic, collaborative partnerships.