Long term plan must be realistic about recovering NHS performance

12 December 2018

 

The director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

“Many hospital trusts are telling us that at the moment they’re finding it very difficult to deliver all of the national performance targets – in A&E, cancer and planned operations for example.

The upcoming long-term plan for NHS must be realistic about the time and resources that will be required to recover performance and reduce waiting lists.

Miriam Deakin    

“The pressure from rapidly rising demand, severe workforce challenges and the impact of the funding squeeze are being felt across the health and care system. Trusts are seeing more patients than ever, but these wider pressures are having a knock-on effect on the speed at which patients are receiving the care they need.

“The upcoming long-term plan for NHS must be realistic about the time and resources that will be required to recover performance and reduce waiting lists, and how much of a focus this must have against competing priorities within the long-term plan.”