Responding to the Mandate to NHS England and 2025/26 Operational
Planning Guidance published today, Nuffield Trust Director of
Research and Policy Dr Becks Fisher said:
"The decision to cut back the number of targets, ringfences, and
priorities in today's Planning Guidance and Mandate is the right
approach. Many of the indicators dropped or missed out were
important and will be painful to let go of, but the reality is
the list of goals from last year was already too long given the
tightness of NHS finances, and many were missed by miles.
“The coming year will be particularly tough financially, with NHS
trusts being asked to hit ambitious remaining targets while
cutting their costs by at least 1 percent. This includes reducing
the use of staff overtime, which until now has paid a significant
role in slowing the growth of waiting lists.
"For now, the reforms which will be promised in the NHS 10 Year
Plan later this year will be largely put on ice – such as moving
care closer to home, or preventing ill health before it happens.
There is a real risk that hospital trusts will overspend to
maintain frontline care and cause chaotic raiding of budgets
again.
"Improvements in dentistry are long overdue, but today fewer than
half of adults actually receive NHS check-ups, and
the targets in this guidance will not meaningfully
change that. Given that the NHS cannot cover everyone on this
budget, it is not clear that more emergency appointments should
be the priority. People who cannot afford private care, or who
need prevention to avoid worse problems, should come first."
Ends
The DHSC's new Mandate for NHS England can be accessed here, and NHS England's
planning guidance for the 2025/26 financial year can be accessed
here.
