UK Health Minister Wes Streeting praised India's primary healthcare model as a potential solution for the challenges facing the UK's National Health Service (NHS).
Speaking at the India Global Forum's (IGF) annual Westminster Diwali Reception on Oct. 23, Streeting said that there was much to learn from India's healthcare system as the NHS navigates what he described as the “worst crisis in its history.”
“The partnership we have is absolutely crucial for us meeting these challenges,” he said. “The way in which primary care is being delivered, we can really learn from at a time when people are struggling to get a GP appointment, and the front doors to the NHS in our communities are broken.”
Streeting also acknowledged the Indian community's long-standing contributions to the NHS. “We owe so much to the Indian diaspora here in Britain. It was a generation that helped to build the NHS in 1948, and today we see the children, even the great-grandchildren of that generation, shaping its future,” he noted.
Liz Kendall, UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, echoed the importance of UK-India collaboration, emphasizing that the relationship extends beyond trade. “It really is a strategic partnership for economic security, for climate security, and for global security,” she said, adding that technological cooperation between the two nations holds transformative potential.
Sujit Ghosh, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK, also pointed to technology as a key area of collaboration. “Technology, innovation, and research could be the defining aspect of India-UK relations as we go forward,” he remarked.
IGF, an agenda-setting forum for international businesses and leaders, offers unmatched platforms for corporates and policymakers to collaborate. The Diwali reception, held at the Taj Hotel, Buckingham Gate, London, attracted key figures from the UK Government, Shadow Cabinet, Indian High Commission, business, arts, and media.
The event was preceded by high-level discussions across various UK-India Future Forum programmes, covering areas such as emerging technology, pharmaceuticals, and decarbonisation, reflecting the ongoing efforts to deepen bilateral ties.
Manoj Ladwa, founder and chairman of IGF, highlighted the significance of the UK-India relationship, particularly under the new Labour government. “At this time of year when we celebrate new beginnings, there can be no more important focus than to drive forward this winning partnership towards its true potential,” Ladwa said.
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