The King’s Speech has been delivered in parliament, setting out the Westminster government’s plans for the next parliamentary session.
A total of 37 bills were announced, with planned changes to the structure of the health system in England including abolishing NHS England and creating a new single patient record, a new asylum model and stricter immigration rules, as well as moves to ban LGBT+ conversion practices. All of which are of importance to the RCN.
What is the King’s Speech?
The King’s Speech details the Westminster government’s plans for the coming parliamentary term. This is the second King’s Speech since the 2024 general election, when the Labour party won the majority of seats in the House of Commons.
Since the last King’s Speech, the Westminster government has passed more than 50 bills, including the Employment Rights Act, Mental Health Act, and Tobacco and Vapes Act. Despite promising to do so, the government did not progress plans to ban LGBT+ conversion therapy practices in the previous parliamentary session.
We’ve campaigned on these issues, lobbying parliamentarians to ensure nursing staff were considered as part of these changes.
What has been announced in this King’s Speech?
- NHS Modernisation Bill: The government aims to improve patient care through investment and modernisation of the NHS, as well as reducing inefficiencies in the system. A new bill will create a single patient record, abolish NHS England, and ensure the voices of patients can shape the services they use. There are also planned changes to give Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) greater flexibility in the planning for local health and care services. These changes will apply to England only.
- Immigration and Asylum Bill: The government has committed to improve the security of the immigration and asylum systems. A bill will introduce a new asylum model based on contribution and integration. A new independent appeals body will be created to assess cases with immediate forced removal of claimants who reached the end of the appeals process. Age assessments will also be strengthened to safeguard children and reduce potential false claims. These changes will apply to the whole of the UK.
- Draft Conversion Practices Bill: The government has again committed to banning LGBT+ conversion therapy practices. A draft bill is different from a full government bill and is a piece of legislation that is published for public scrutiny. The government has committed to a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy practices which will protect people from harmful or abusive attempts to change their sexual orientation or transgender identity. The draft bill will apply to England and Wales.
- Education for All Bill: This aims to transform support for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The bill will attempt to ensure education, health and care services work together to improve outcomes for all children and young people. The bill will apply to England and Wales.
What does the speech mean for nursing staff?
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, has said the King’s Speech is evidence that the government is working to “help people live healthier lives”.
The proposed changes to health systems in England will see significant reforms to how the NHS operates. Ministers have committed to improving patient care and reducing inefficiencies in the NHS.
Since the plans to abolish NHS England and reduce staffing at ICBs were announced in March 2025, we’ve been raising the alarm at the speed and uncertainty of these changes which could see key nursing roles in patient safety and population health lost.
We will continue to press the government for transparency on the plans and will work to ensure the planned bill delivers for nursing staff and nurse-led services.
The RCN has spoken about the need for a fair and human rights-based approach in its immigration and asylum system. We’ve warned about harmful child assessment methods introduced by previous governments, which lacked any medical evidence on their effectiveness.
In 2022, RCN Congress called on all UK countries to introduce a transgender inclusive conversion therapy ban. There have been years of inaction on this. We will urge this government to make progress to ban these harmful practices and ensure people impacted receive the support needed.
We warned that falling numbers of learning disability nurses is resulting in a crisis in this workforce. A new approach to SEND provision must also see proper investment in the learning disability workforce so all young people can live healthier and independent lives.
What was missing from the King’s Speech?
While there have been positive steps to improve patient care and increase patient voice in the health and care system, there was nothing to fix the broken system for nursing pay, or changes to grow the nursing workforce.
There was also no mention of protecting the title of nurse. Last year, the government confirmed it will make the change in law. We are expecting more detail to be announced soon.
We’re still awaiting the publication of the new 10-year workforce plan for England. This must detail how the Westminster government plans to invest in nursing to support the profession and meet patient demand.
What happens next?
MPs and members of the House of Lords will now debate what the government has announced. We will write to parliamentarians sharing our response to the speech and how it will impact nursing staff.
The Westminster government will then introduce new bills to parliament to deliver on the promises made in the speech.
Since the last King’s Speech, nursing staff have been sounding the alarm that the profession is facing unsustainable pressure. The government must now deliver to turn this around.
