17th October 2022

Two thirds of ICSs in the red
The impact of inflation, Covid costs that were not funded in this year’s funding, operational challenges that are driving higher spend on agency staff are the reasons why two in three ICSs report deficits against their yearly financial plans. This comes just months after systems submitted breakeven plans. The financial situation facing the NHS is a “f**king nightmare”, says chief executive Amanda Pritchard.

Good Law Project wins again
The government has confirmed in a letter to the court and the parties involved, Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth, that it will not pursue an appeal against the High Court ruling that its Net Zero strategy is unlawful. Perhaps now it will abandon plans for fracking, new gas and oil developments and more roads.

A two tier health system
A Centre for Health and Public Interest briefing concludes that the growth in healthcare funded by private pay and the increase in healthcare in the private sector suggests a potential shift towards a two-tier healthcare system.

Hospitals cancelling 22,000 appointments every day
Despite the Government’s pledge to clear the NHS backlog the average number of daily cancellations this year, so far, was up 20 per cent on pre-pandemic figures. Hunt, who as health secretary for 6 austerity years surely bears considerable blame for the current state of the NHS, said the numbers were “staggering”.

NHS repair backlog now £10 billion
The estimated bill for NHS repairs has doubled in the last decade. The cost of eradicating the huge backlog of repairs to hospitals and equipment has hit £10 billion for the first time.

Coffey claims NHS created by a Tory
Our health secretary said in her speech to the Tory conference that the NHS was created by Henry Willink. In fact Willink opposed the nationalisation of the existing private and voluntary infrastructure that was later to become the backbone of the NHS.