Why Labour believes Australia has the reply to fixing the NHS

Wes Streeting desires to show healthcare on its head.

To that finish, the shadow well being secretary has flown greater than 10,000 miles, embarking on a whirlwind tour of Australian healthcare to see what classes the UK can be taught.

The case couldn’t be extra pressing. For one factor – as Mr Streeting jocularly factors out, to his Australian well being officers – “you retain nicking all our docs”.

It’s not a declare they’ll deny. The mind drain of UK medics to Australia has solely intensified lately.

As Mr Streeting visits well being services and meets officers throughout Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney, British accents ring out at each flip, with tales of deserting Northamptonshire, Yorkshire and west London for a greater life Down Underneath.

There has lengthy been a sample of younger British medics searching for to spend just a few years in Australia, with some placing down roots.

However it’s completely clear that the exodus has elevated lately.

At each go to, medics inform how they’re more and more being lured not simply by a life-style of sea, surf and sand, however by the promise of profitable work, beneath much less punishing working circumstances in a well being system which isn’t buckling beneath the pressure.

Mr Streeting is in Sydney, on a go to to Maroubra Medicare Pressing Care Clinic.

The unassuming well being centre, in a suburb of the town, is one among 38 which the Labor authorities has opened since being elected to workplace in Could final 12 months, with plans for 20 extra by the tip of this 12 months.