The government published the Autumn Statement of its tax and
public spending plans today (22 November) and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer outlined ambitions to increase productivity growth
across the public sector by at least 0.5% per year.
Sir Hartley, chief executive of NHS
Providers, said:
"An NHS fit for the future needs the right numbers of staff,
better supported social care, more beds and more investment in
buildings and equipment to help to boost productivity and give
patients top-class care.
"As Britain’s biggest employer the NHS needs a healthy workforce.
Improving the health of the population, including joined-up
action to tackle the root causes of longstanding health
inequalities, must be a mission for the whole of government to
help communities thrive and ease pressure on NHS services.
“Long waiting times for patients stem from years of severe
workforce shortages - with more than 125,000 NHS vacancies today
across England - and underinvestment in health services. And we
are still waiting to learn how all of the ambitions in the Long
Term Workforce Plan for the NHS, published in June, will be
funded.
“If ministers want to see waiting times come down - a stated
government priority – and productivity go up then hospital,
mental health, community and ambulance services need significant
capital injections to repair buildings and facilities and for
digital transformation.
"Trusts recognise the need to manage public funds effectively and
strive to make the most of every penny invested in the NHS to
benefit patients, doing all they can to provide more first-class
care and meet rising demand. Increasing productivity can’t be a
case of just asking already overstretched staff to do more with
existing resources.
“Trust leaders tell us that they are seeing patients with
multiple, often more complex, conditions. This can mean longer
stays in hospital and take longer to reach diagnosis and ensure
the right treatment.
“We need to see too the government and doctors’ unions resolve
disputes behind months of costly strikes which have got in the
way of work to cut waiting lists further."
