Responding to a new report today from the Health Foundation and
Ipsos on what the public thinks about the NHS in England, the
chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Hartley said:
“Leaders across the NHS know they face an uphill battle to
restore public satisfaction in the NHS with survey after survey
revealing patients' concerns about standards and access to health
care.
“They will be deeply worried that more than half of the people
surveyed believe the standard of care provided by NHS services
will worsen in the coming year.
“While it is reassuring that public support for the founding
principles of the NHS remain rock solid, it is undeniable that
factors such as rising demand, squeezed funding and workforce
shortages have all taken their toll.
“NHS trust leaders are committed to restoring services and
delivering high quality care. Due to the hard work of frontline
teams, steady progress is being made on tackling waiting lists,
prioritising the most urgent treatments and driving forward
improvements across all parts of the health and care system.
“But they know they can go further and faster. Ensuring more
people are treated in the right healthcare setting is part of the
solution.
“Trust leaders know that investing in crucial community, primary
care and prevention services could reap dividends by helping our
ageing population live healthier lives, boosting preventative
care and easing the burden on overstretched hospitals. They have
seen how community-led initiatives such as urgent community
response teams and virtual wards are delivering results for
patients.
“With a general election fast approaching, it's vital any future
government commits to working with the NHS to expand primary
and community care services and funding so that more patients can
be cared for closer to home.
“By doing so, the government and NHS can make the whole health
and care system work better, become more sustainable, and help
create the ‘next generation' NHS we all want to see.”
