Wes Streeting has outlined his vision for the future of the NHS, warning that the health system will “reform or die”.
Speaking at the annual NHS providers’ conference in Liverpool, the deputy health secretary said the message was “not a slogan but a reality” as it tackles record waiting lists and a workforce whose morale has plummeted.
Eliminate “foreign” tax status to reduce wait times
A decade of austerity combined with the Covid pandemic has seen the waiting list for non-urgent treatment in England’s NHS rise to a record 7.8 million people. According to official data, this number is actually 6.5 million unique patients, since many patients are waiting for more than one treatment.
Mr Streeting said a Labor government would ensure patients receive elective (non-urgent) treatment within 18 weeks. He also promised emergency room wait times of no more than four hours.
Until recently, the goal was for 95 percent of all patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – a goal that has not been met since July 2015.
The number of patients treated in emergency departments within four hours fell to 70.2 per cent in October, compared with 71.6 per cent the month before, according to the latest figures from NHS England.
Ambulances are also taking longer to respond to emergency and urgent calls, with Streeting promising they will “arrive on time” under Labour’s control.
Removing non-domestic taxpayer status will help achieve this goal by providing the NHS with an extra £1.1 billion, which will be used to reduce waiting lists by training more doctors, nurses and midwives to see patients in a timely manner. Mr Streeting believes removing the special tax status could fund 7,500 more NHS doctors and 10,000 nurses and midwives each year.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously said the removal of overseas tax status could free up an estimated £1.5 billion for the backlog reduction plan to cover staff overtime and the purchase of additional equipment.
No more micromanagement
Mr. Streeting said he was more interested in writing a plan to achieve long-term goals over the next five to 10 years. “No more calls about issues that concern the Secretary of State on any given day,” he said.
“Every day you rewrite the job titles of your EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) employees, you are not 100% focused on reducing patient wait times. I won’t waste your time or my time. There’s no time to waste.”
The rise in the number of EDI officers has caused controversy, with Conservative MPs using their increasing frequency as an example of “cost” that should be cut in the NHS. Insiders say they are vital to reducing health inequalities and because around one in five NHS staff come from overseas.
Support radical solutions
“Great NHS leaders are coming up with brilliant solutions,” Mr Stitting said, pointing to the Sussex Musculoskeletal Partnership, which commissioned a local leisure center and invited the entire waiting list.
“Patients could talk to doctors, get referrals to community support groups and local charities, access wider health and social care services and receive immediate rehabilitation treatment – all in less than two hours. People were spared the need to spend months moving from one pillar to another, from one service to another.”
Mr Streeting said 550 people attended the event over the two days, half of whom were subsequently released from the waiting list. Patients who did not attend were seen five weeks earlier as this significantly reduced the waiting list.
Competition Tables for Identifying Failed Trusts
Mr Streeting promised new league tables would be published which would allow for “much more transparency” about poor performance and no longer “turn a blind eye to failure”.
He said: “This new era of transparency will empower patients and put their experience at the heart of services.” national standards and what best practices look like.”
A source close to Mr Streeting said the move was not about pitting suppliers against each other, but about offering support to those at the bottom of the table.
The ratings will measure performance across a range of metrics, including waitlist times, disease prevention efforts and service improvements.
Trusts at the top of the league table should be encouraged to ‘put the pedal to the metal and keep improving’. Those at the bottom “need to be identified so we can give them the support they need to get back on track,” Streeting said.
“We will partner with their senior leadership teams to support them and monitor performance metrics more closely.”
Exclusion of employees guilty of serious misconduct
A Labor government will work with the NHS to create a system of regulation and training, reward excellent leadership and protect patients when things go wrong, the shadow health secretary has said. “It is clear to me that this must also include the exclusion of those who have been convicted of serious misconduct.”
He will also create a College of Clinical Leadership, adding that NHS staff will be asked to work “smarter” rather than harder. “Good clinical leadership is critical to improving service delivery, quality of care and transforming healthcare and its time. Our goal is to promote world-class leadership throughout our service.”
Ending NHS strikes?
Mr Streeting made no mention of the strike, which has caused chaos in the NHS over the past 12 months, in his conference speech.
But in a video address to the conference, new Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins told delegates she was an “optimist” who would take part in the strikes to find a “fair and reasonable solution”.
Ms Atkins said she plans to work with staff to address health issues and “make long-term decisions that will create a better future for our NHS”.
She said: “That is the approach I will take to strikes. “I am acutely aware of the impact the strikes have had on patient care and am eager to come to the negotiating table to find a fair and reasonable solution.”
Negotiations are ongoing between the British Medical Association and the government to improve remuneration for trainee doctors and consultants.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.