Some constituents have got in touch with me over the past year to express their concerns about the backlog in planned hospital care. I hear and appreciate their many concerns.
Throughout the pandemic the NHS cared for more than 700,000 Covid-19 patients. As a result of focusing on urgent and critical care, the NHS did not have the capacity for elective routine procedures. It is estimated that as many as 10 million people did not come forward to seek the help they needed in this time. It is important that people do so now to ensure they get the treatment they need.
I welcome the government’s practical and sensible approach to tackling this backlog. This week, the Health Secretary announced a plan which will allow the NHS to perform at least 9 million extra tests, checks and procedure by 2025. By then, and rightly so, no one should be waiting more than a year for elective care. The target is that no one will have to wait longer than two years by July 2022. The NHS aims to eliminate waits of over 18 months by April 2023 and of over 65 weeks by March 2024, which equates to 99 per cent of patients waiting less than a year.
Delivering this plan will require:
Increasing capacity: I welcome the commitment to growing the NHS workforce, including healthcare support workers and NHS reservists, as well as expanding and separating out elective and diagnostic service capacity.
Prioritising treatment: a new national network will be established for patients who have been waiting a certain length of time, offering alternative locations for treatment with shorter waiting times wherever possible.
Transforming the way elective care is provided: the way outpatient appointments are delivered will be reformed, maximising flexibility, and focusing on clinical risk and need.
Better information and support for patients: the NHS App will help better manage appointments, bookings, and the sharing of information. Patients will have greater choice about their treatment at the point of referral, and enhanced choice for longwaiting patients will be offered.
Just as we came together to fight this virus, now we must move forward to address the impact of this virus on people’s every day health. I am reassured that the government will be working closely with NHS England to deliver the plan, providing the necessary support to make sure it benefits patients.
I remain in regular contact with our local public health officials and will offer my support where I can. I am always happy to take up cases on behalf of my constituents: if you are experiencing any issues relating to planned hospital care, please contact my office at [email protected].
