Tackling the backlog needs wider action to address pressures on social care and NHS workforce shortages

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee’s Inquiry into Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times, Senior Policy Fellow, Tim Gardner, said:

‘Today’s report is a reminder that tackling the backlog needs wider action to address pressures on social care and NHS workforce shortages, which are the result of long-term failures in government policy. This left health and care services struggling to meet the needs of patients and service users, leading to significant increases in waiting times for cancer services and routine hospital treatment before the pandemic.

‘NHS staff are working extremely hard to reopen services and restore activity to pre-pandemic levels, despite the continuing impact of Covid-19. These efforts have yielded some positive results, including the first fall in the waiting list in over 2 years in November last year. However, we are still a long way from delivering the volume of care needed to make a serious dent in waiting lists, let alone get close to meeting the standards people are entitled to expect under the NHS Constitution.

‘To address the backlog, the NHS is aiming to increase activity levels to 30% above pre-Covid levels, but the failure to confront longstanding staff shortages has always been a major barrier to treating more patients. In its forthcoming workforce plan, the government needs to provide a clear commitment to adequate funding or risk continuing to undermine efforts to bring down waiting lists.’

Media contact

Emily Wilson
Emily.Wilson@health.org.uk
020 7257 2061