Keir Starmer will seek to reset his premiership next week with a series of sweeping NHS reforms aimed at cutting waiting times for millions of patients in England.
The reshuffle comes amid mounting patient dissatisfaction after a very busy first six months in office. More than 6 million people are waiting for treatment.
Under the new scheme, patients will be able to directly undergo tests and scans for a range of ear, nose, throat, gynecological, urological, bowel and lung conditions without having to see a consultant first.
Thousands of patients in the UK will also be offered a ‘same-day service’, allowing them to have a follow-up appointment on the same day as their scan or test, allowing more people to start treatment and get better quickly. The Prime Minister said that. Announce.
Additionally, a significant expansion of ring-fenced selection in the NHS means routine practices such as hip and knee replacement surgeries will be protected from winter pressures and future pandemics.
Ministers hope that changes to the NHS and a series of other announcements in the new year will correct months of rifts and set a clear direction for the Labor government.
But senior doctors said they were not convinced Mr Starmer’s plan would work as the NHS’s staffing crisis left “insufficient” staff to clear waiting lists quickly.
And without a similarly focused effort to save emergency care in the NHS, where some hospitals are overwhelmed, the Prime Minister’s plans to improve daily care are ‘deceived’ and doomed to fail. Some people warn.
Rachel Reeves’ Budget promises an extra £22bn over the next two years to reduce waiting times, but most NHS trust chiefs remain skeptical.
A recent survey by NHS Providers found that 71% of leaders overall, and 100% of those running acute and emergency trusts, thought it was unlikely that progress would be made by 2029.
The selective changes plan, due to be announced on Monday, comes after Mr Starmer pledged to see 92% of patients within 18 weeks by July 2029.
Currently, less than 60% of surgeries and other procedures are performed within 18 weeks. This goal has not been achieved for nearly a decade.
The changes will give hundreds of thousands of patients the ability to get tested directly through their GP for symptoms such as shortness of breath, asthma, post-menopausal bleeding, hearing loss, tinnitus, urinary problems, bowel problems and seek medical care. There will be no need. First of all, a consultant.
Faster diagnosis reduces waiting lists, as four out of five patients are taken off the list after a diagnostic test or outpatient visit.
Hospitals will also be ordered to ensure patients are as healthy and ready for surgery as possible while they wait, the Guardian understands. Officials believe this will not only improve postoperative outcomes and speed recovery for patients, but also reduce the number of “same-day cancellations” and post-surgery follow-up appointments.
Patients awaiting surgery will be offered weight loss and smoking cessation support while they wait, with quitting smoking 4 weeks before surgery reducing the risk of respiratory disease and wound healing complications by up to a third. Evidence suggests that it may be reduced.
Non-clinical frontline staff, such as GP surgical receptionists, will also undergo compulsory ‘customer service’ training, allowing hospitals to ensure patients on waiting lists are kept fully informed and supported while they wait. The company plans to appoint a patient experience champion to ensure patients receive the best possible treatment.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, admitted that “too many people” are waiting “unacceptably long times” for care, with one in nine people in England on the waiting list. He said it was included.
But she said NHS staff had made “huge progress” in reducing long waiting times since the coronavirus crisis and was confident they could “significantly reduce waiting times across the country again”. Ta.
“By making it easier for people to get the tests they need in a timely manner, in addition to direct referrals and same-day testing and consultations, this plan will help thousands more people get faster diagnosis, faster treatment, and more. Or, it can help you achieve a complete recovery, allowing you to get back to your normal life as soon as possible with the peace of mind that no further treatment is required.
“The reforms set out in this plan are focused on improving the way people access and experience routine care, not just waiting times. Simply put, this is a patient-centered plan.”
But Dr. Tim Cooksley, former president of the Society of Emergency Medicine, which represents doctors at the hospital, raised concerns about the plans.
“The innovative elements of the Selective Recovery Plan are welcome. Direct access to services, reduced bureaucracy and streamlined processes are key implementations of NHS recovery. However, significant concerns are What is not recognized is that otherwise this selective plan will inevitably and predictably fail.
“We lack the workforce and capacity to meet the demands of an aging population with multiple health issues, and we simply do not have the resilience to cope with an overburden such as the winter virus.
“Hospitals are already in a state of collapse. The concept of keeping waiting beds fenced off while patients are dying and receiving degrading hallway treatment in the emergency department is immoral and deceptive.”
Mr Cooksley added that a coordinated system-wide approach, including social care, focused on increasing capacity and the workforce is essential. “Without this, there will continue to be disappointment, suffering and cancellations for patients waiting for elective care, and painful and delayed care for patients who need urgent care.”
Details of the plan were revealed after official NHS figures on Friday showed the health service is under huge strain.
The number of people admitted to hospital with flu in England has quadrupled in a month, with health leaders saying the “huge” pressure on the NHS will be exacerbated by this weekend’s plunge in temperatures.
Sarah Arnold, senior policy director at the King’s Fund, said: “The UK NHS is already under-bedded and under-staffed compared to similar health systems in other countries, but continues to operate at close to full capacity. “It has been done,” he said.
Seasonal illnesses put pressure on the NHS every winter, but flu season has started early this year, with flu bed occupancy already “significantly higher” than at any point last winter. She said she was “worried” about that. Added.
