2nd December 2024
Starmer’s targets ‘unachievable’ without more funds
The Society for Acute Medicine represents hospital doctors: “Starmer’s desire for a return to 92% of patients waiting a maximum of 18 weeks was “doomed” unless overstretched NHS urgent and emergency care services such as A&E and ambulance services, were dramatically improved.” …
…yet ICBs are told to cut services
Nearly all 42 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in England are told to restrict spending by a collective total of around £8 billion. But what about the money from the budget? It will help, but high demand for care, pay rises, and inflation all chip away at the rise. NHS England demands that ICBs stay within budget. The primary focus for making these substantial savings is the NHS’s most significant area of expenditure: its workforce.
Long waits for child mental health services
“Imagine what we could achieve with the right resources to build an effective mental health service. Prevention and early intervention would be a daily reality rather than a hoped-for future, and crisis referrals for children would be rare, rather than the frequent occurrence they are today.”
Building private hospitals with NHS funds
According to the Telegraph, the private healthcare sector is prepared to spend £1 billion on expanding their own facilities so that they can treat more NHS patients. In exchange, the government will guarantee them access to NHS contracts and budgets for the long term, such is the profit they already make from the NHS.
Private healthcare booms, NHS is in crisis
Record numbers of patients are being forced to pay out of pocket in order to be seen quicker. Private providers are being paid enormous sums to deliver procedures that should be done by the NHS. We are hurtling towards a two-tier health system. The new government has an opportunity to set our NHS on the road to recovery. But so far they have not committed to the lifesaving policies our NHS so desperately needs – increased investment, fair pay for NHS staff, an end to outsourcing of NHS outsourcing .