Dear Sir Keir and Mr Streeting,

We were very pleased to hear that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS with a particular focus on assessing patient access to health care, the quality of health care being provided, and the overall performance of the health system.

Addressing the chronic underfunding of the NHS in recent years is crucial, but in order to make the best use of additional money we must also review the way in which the NHS is managed. No doubt COVID-19 placed an enormous strain on the NHS. However, much of the current low morale, high levels of burnout, and consequent difficulties in recruitment and retention in primary care are the result of a neoliberal market paradigm that promotes a ‘factory model’ of health care. This industrial model of care is predicated on increasing control, micro-management, and targets as the solutions to failure to meet demand. As …