NHS waiting lists could affect nine million patients over the next two years, doctors have warned, highlighting the lack of healthcare funding in a statement in the autumn.
Jeremy Hunt’s speech on Wednesday made no new promises on health funding, while existing cash arrangements remained frozen until 2024-25. The Chancellor also confirmed a long-term investment freeze.
Treasury documents published with the statement confirm a £200 million pledge made in September to “strengthen the resilience of the NHS” and open more medical posts from September next year to meet the NHS’s long-term commitment to meeting its workforce plan .
But with NHS waiting lists in England already reaching a record 7.8 million people – with some patients being counted twice as they wait for more than one operation – senior doctors say hopes are to clear hospital backlogs early and reduce the busy winter the period is short.
Dr Tim Cooksley, former president of the Society of Emergency Medicine, said it would mean more elderly patients would have to endure “humiliating hospital stays” in the coming weeks and warned that up to one in six people could be waiting on the NHS. lists whether the situation still exists.
“A crisis this winter is unfortunately inevitable in the emergency care sector,” he said. I. “The recently released Right Place, Right Care report from frontline healthcare staff is a clear example of what patients and staff experienced over the winter, and similar scenarios are already being seen in many hospitals across the country.
“The autumn announcement does little to mitigate the situation, prevent it from happening again in the coming years and give patients and staff some light at the end of the tunnel.” reaching the figure of nine million patients on waiting lists predicted by former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.”
Rishi Sunak made reducing waiting lists one of his top five priorities in January. But ministers were accused of “lowering” the bail amount as the NHS was tasked with keeping costs under control.
The latest figures from NHS England show the number of people waiting 18 months for treatment has actually risen in recent weeks, despite ministers promising to end such long delays six months ago.
NHS trust leaders also fear they will be hit by a bleaker-than-expected economic forecast after the budget regulator cut its growth forecasts from 1.8 per cent to 0.7 per cent next year and from 2.5 per cent to 1.4 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2025 to 1.4 percent this year.
Dr Steve Taylor, from the UK Doctors’ Association lobby group, said: ‘We continue to hear claims of record funding for the NHS, but this rarely plays a role in inflation, population growth, the ability of the NHS to continue to innovate and much more. “To provide solutions that will help people stay alive.
“The NHS has failed time and time again. With 7.8 million people waiting for treatment and many no longer able to work or with limited options, now is the time to invest in healthcare as it will benefit the entire population, both in terms of well-being and health economics. “
said Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients’ Charity Association. I: “The NHS and social care system is facing a crisis affecting millions of people across the UK. Without investment in both the NHS and social care, it is difficult to see how already stretched services can meet the growing needs of our aging population.
“The Chancellor said this is a sign of growth, but many people cannot contribute to this growth because they are too ill to work.
“Some of these people will be on ever-increasing waiting lists for NHS treatment. Despite this, and due to the financial difficulties of the NHS, efforts to eliminate these waiting lists have been abandoned.”
Following the autumn statement, the Liberal Democrats said Mr Hunt had cut England’s annual NHS budget for 2024-2020 by £3.4bn compared with his March budget, from £165.9bn to £162.5bn billion pounds sterling.
According to Treasury documents, this is a “technical change” requested by NHS England and will not affect the purchasing power of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) or NHS England.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We are investing a record £165.9bn in 2024–25, including £3.3bn to improve the efficiency of acute, urgent care, elective and primary care, and also preventive care. Pandemic level. We are also putting the NHS on a long-term footing and have published the first long-term NHS workforce development plan to develop and support the workforce, backed by more than £2.4 billion.”
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.