Political Opinion: Labour is making sure our NHS is here for you

As we head into 2026, cold weather is sweeping the country and bringing with it winter pressures on our NHS.

The creation of the NHS is a proud legacy of the 1945 post-war Attlee Labour Government. Now, it is the Labour Government of today that is committed to making sure our NHS is fit for the future and there when you need it, investing in services and harnessing new technology to make care faster and more accessible.

The government recently announced the new NHS Online service, which will triage patients quickly through the NHS App, offer video consultations with specialists from across the country, and allow monitoring from the comfort of patients’ homes.

NHS Online will make care more convenient and accessible, and free up many in-person appointments for those who need them. Offering this choice will be a critical step in addressing deep-rooted healthcare inequalities in places like Luton South and South Bedfordshire, ending the postcode lottery of access to care.

Alongside utilising new technology, Labour is taking bold steps to modernise our NHS by shifting care into communities and prioritising prevention. These changes will stabilise and strengthen the crumbling healthcare system left by the previous government, ensuring it can continue to provide vital care to people across Luton South and South Bedfordshire.

Since the new government was elected in July 2024, we have delivered 5 million extra appointments and carried out 9 million tests, checks and scans in Community Diagnostic Centres, as well as recruiting a further 2,600 GPs since October 2024. This is evidence of a Labour Government delivering real change to bolster NHS services and ensure they can provide the vital care people need, especially throughout the winter peak.

This Labour Government is strengthening our NHS, but we can all contribute to ensure it is not overwhelmed by the increased pressure this winter. It’s great to see that the number of people having flu vaccinations was up by half a million in the last week of December compared to last year. This is key in reducing the number of serious flu cases and hospital admissions, so it is important as many people as possible in Luton South and South Bedfordshire take this up to keep our community safe.

Find out more and get yours here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/keep-warm-keep-well/