Waiting lists fall - NHS in crisis!
Who would want to be Prime Minister? Despite doubling the amount of money going to the NHS and seeing a further fall of 6% in the latest month's waiting list figures, the headlines are still of a service in crisis.
A survey recently conducted by the British Medical Association reported that three out of four NHS trusts are facing a funding shortfall in the current year, averaging £6.2 million. Many are racking up significant debts such that the Health Secretary has had to order a freeze on all new central spending, on pain of a 'disciplinary offence'.
How can this be? There are many reasons, but perhaps the most important is that the money NHS hospitals now get is very closely related to the numbers of patients that they treat. The Government's policy of using the private sector to cut waiting lists was intended to supplement the total resources available rather than establish competition, but there seems no doubt that it has led to many NHS hospitals seeing fewer patients and thus getting less money. Many find it difficult to adjust to a lower level of activity.
Private hospitals are set up to deal with a high turnover of uncomplicated procedures, whereas a local NHS hospital has to cover a range of services, including accident and emergency. In the long run, it may be no bad thing if each concentrates on what it does best, but the process of adjustment may be painful and the public may not be prepared to see the closure of local NHS wards, or even whole hospitals.
The information contained in this document is of a general nature only and should not be relied upon as advice in any specific situation.
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