Approximate read time: 1 hour
The Health Bill is a government bill, introduced under the Starmer government. It comprises 89 clauses and 12 schedules. The House of Lords is due to debate the bill at second reading on 13 October 2026.
Key points
- The Health Bill would implement a significant restructuring of NHS governance in England by abolishing NHS England and transferring its functions mainly to the secretary of state for health and social care and integrated care boards.
- The government argues the reforms will reduce duplication and contribute to up to £1bn a year in savings, while stakeholders warn they may be disruptive and concentrate power centrally.
- The bill would establish the legal framework for a single patient record, bringing together information currently held across separate health and social care settings. The government anticipates this would improve patient care. Concerns focus on data security and public trust.
- The bill would reshape the patient safety landscape by abolishing Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations and transferring the Health Services Safety Investigations Body into the Care Quality Commission. The government and recent reviews have argued simplification is needed, but stakeholders think the changes could weaken patient voice and the independence of safety investigations.
- In the House of Commons, government amendments added provisions on visiting patients, medicines and medical devices regulation, and pharmaceutical services. The government made a commitment to amend the bill in the House of Lords to introduce a statutory maternity and neonatal commissioner, and to re-examine the provisions on Healthwatch.
Alongside the bill, the government has published explanatory notes, a delegated powers memorandum and impact assessments.
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