What are health bodies doing to counter the crisis in the NHS?
Hundreds of organisations across healthcare have banded together to plead for extra funds to combat what they call the growing crisis in the NHS.
Coming a couple of weeks before Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers the November Budget, a letter to the government co-ordinated by the NHS Confederation warns that the NHS Constitution is being breached and millions of patients face unacceptable delays and difficulties in accessing treatments. It adds that regulator the Care Quality Commission has concluded that front-line services are faltering. Without additional resources, the letter states, there will be a further deterioration. The organisations urge the Chancellor to revise spending plans for 2018/19 and 2019/20.
The letter has been signed by the medical royal colleges, social services directors, the leading national charities involved in health and care, university hospitals and the organisation representing the country’s 6.5m unpaid carers.
Confederation chief executive Niall Dickson said: ‘Without further funding, today’s perilous state will become tomorrow’s tragedy… The wide support for this letter should be a wake-up call for the Treasury.’
Further information
British Medical Journal: Hunt admits that public demand for NHS has grown beyond expectations
NHS Confederation: A letter co-ordinated by the NHS Confederation
NHS Confederation: Desperate plea for funds to tackle health and care crisis made by coalition
Parliament: Health Committee
Wellards: NHS finance