Responding to the Labour Party’s calls for an NHS rescue plan,
the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery:
“This new analysis by the Labour Party is concerning, and is
further indication of the extent of the impact of the pandemic on
the health service, which is not yet clear.
“Trust leaders are deeply worried about the size of waiting
lists, not just for operations and diagnostic testing but for all
types of care including mental health services.
“Despite how quickly trusts are working to deliver for all
patients, there are signs that tackling the backlog could take
between three to five years on current trajectories.
“The NHS will need a "bold transformative approach" and
additional investment from the government. We recently set out five required
elements:
- increase physical and workforce capacity
- specific steps to tackle pinch points, such as investment in
a new network of community diagnostic hubs
- NHS efficiency and productivity gains, often through improved
collaboration
- reconfigure hospitals to deal with future waves of COVID-19
and winter pressures to avoid disruptive
- rapidly adopt new ways of treating patients, specialty by
specialty such as using new technology solutions in ophthalmology
where the waiting lists are some of the longest.
“Additionally, while we have welcomed the increase in the amount
of capital that has been made available to the NHS by the
government, we agree that further investment is needed to
modernise the estate and address urgent repairs. Disrepair has
impacted the response to the pandemic, such as affecting how
trusts operating in outdated estates reconfigure their
facilities, and in some cases led to patient safety issues.
“On recognising staff through a pay reward, we are awaiting the
independent recommendations from the pay review body processes
for agenda for change staff and doctors. Trust leaders would
support review bodies were they to suggest a bigger pay rise than
suggested by the Department of Health and Social Care last month.
We hope that the government accepts and funds any recommendations
made, particularly given that there will be no room for trusts to
fund these themselves while dealing with increasing demand and
backlogs of care.”
