Focus on: healthcare

Labour plans to double the number of NHS CT and MRI scanners through a ‘Fit for the Future’ fund, to catch cancer and other conditions earlier, including state of the art scanners with embedded AI.

Labour will develop an NHS innovation and adoption strategy in England. This will include a simplified plan for procurement, giving a clearer route to get products into the NHS coupled with reformed incentive structures to drive innovation and faster regulatory approval for new technology and medicines.

Labour will make the process of clinical trials more efficient and accessible, by speeding up recruitment and giving more people a chance to participate through the NHS app, with a focus on transforming treatment for dementia.

Labour will support the development of AI, including to ‘harness the power of technologies like AI to transform the speed and accuracy of diagnostic services’ in healthcare. A specific proposal here is to remove planning barriers to new data centres.

Labour will create a National Data Library to bring together existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services, whilst maintaining strong safeguards and ensuring all of the public benefit.

Labour plans to scrap short funding cycles for key research and development institutions in favour of ten-year budgets that allow meaningful partnerships with industry. This includes work with universities to support spinouts and work with industry to ensure start-ups have the access to finance they need to grow.

Labour will create a new Regulatory Innovation Office, bringing together existing functions across government, to help regulators update regulation, speed up approval timelines, and co-ordinate issues that span existing boundaries.

Labour will ensure the safe development and use of AI models by introducing binding regulation on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models.

Labour will create a National Care Service for social care, to complement the NHS, underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country.

Labour will modernise mental health legislation to give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support.

Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Labour also proposes to ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

Labour proposes to ban advertising junk food to children along with the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.