Responding to an announcement from the government to send ‘crack
teams' to support hospital trusts in areas where more people are
out of work and waiting for treatment is cutting waiting lists,
the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery
said:
“Despite extreme pressure and significant challenges, trust
leaders and staff are doing everything they can to see patients
as quickly as possible including introducing innovations to boost
productivity and become more efficient.
“No-one wants patients to wait a moment longer than needed so any
initiatives which mean patients are seen even faster will be
welcomed- but these must be done in partnership with local teams
who know their communities inside out.
“It is essential too that any new proposals to drive down waiting
times address the huge challenges facing mental health and
community services, too.
“With poor mental health the leading driver of ill-health related
economic inactivity, any approaches to reduce waiting lists must
also address care backlogs across mental health services.
“These services should not be an afterthought.
“National leaders also need to look at the complex range of
factors which can have an impact on how quickly trusts see and
treat patients, including differences in health inequalities in
their local community and demand for care.
“With calls this week to find further stringent savings, trust
leaders are increasingly warning that hard won progress to
transform services, reduce waiting lists, and see patients as
quickly as possible could be jeopardised. The need to scale back
or stop services and reducing staff is a bleak, but increasingly
likely, prospect.
“Investing in social care and wider local government services
would also help the NHS pound go further.
“With the 10-year health plan and comprehensive spending review
coming up, this is a critical opportunity to recognise the clear
economic and wider benefits that can be derived from investing in
those vital health services that get to the root cause of
spiralling demand.”
