12th July 2023

Charity letter on state of NHS
In a letter to political leaders, the Kings Fund, the Health Foundation and the Nuffield Trust tell politicians “The NHS has endured a decade of under-investment compared to the historic average, and capital spending has been well below comparable countries. As a result, the health service has insufficient resources to do its job.” Will they listen?

Save the NHS, listen to patients & doctors
Following a hospital consultant’s plan to save the NHS, Dr Angus Whitfield says the system is breaking due to chronic underinvestment . It’s underinvestment that is at the crux of crises like that being played out in midwifery right now. Pointing fingers at hospital trusts in CQC reports doesn’t identify the underlying causes – cuts in training, the staffing crisis and falling staff wages.

Austerity lead to declining NHS care
The coalition government’s austerity programme in the early 2010s led to the heath service no longer being able to meet key waiting time targets, the Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation said.

Employing physician assistants led to patient’s death
A GP practice in North London has made the decision to stop employing physician associates after an incident of ‘poor quality’ care contributed to the death of a patient.

Integrated Care’s undeliverable financial targets
NHS trusts have committed to financial plans for 2023-34 without properly considering their consequences with finance directors turning a blind eye to unrealistic forecasts under pressure from NHS England.