NHS FIT FOR 21ST CENTURY
Extra £20bn a year to prevent ill health and diagnose disease earlier But can we find the thousands more doctors and nurses needed?
AN AMBITIOUS plan to make the NHS fit for the future was launched by health chiefs yesterday.
It promises sweeping digital reforms and earlier diagnosis of the major conditions. The report breaks down just how the £20.5billion a year pledged by Theresa May will be spent until 2029, with claims it will save 500,000 lives in that time. But concerns have been raised about whether the NHS has enough staff to implement the changes.
The NHS Long Term Plan was unveiled by Prime Minister Mrs May and NHS
England chief executive Simon Stevens in Liverpool yesterday.
Outlining the next 10 years of healthcare plans, it details measures to improve early diagnosis rates, give patients greater control over their care and plans to invest in cutting-edge technology.
Speaking at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Mrs May said leaving the EU would help fund new measures to make the NHS more efficient and sustainable.
She said: “I’ve always felt incredibly proud to live in a country with a health service that is there for all of us when we need it most – free at the point of use, based on clinical need and not the ability to pay.
“Together, the five-year funding settlement, along with the 10-year plan, will provide both the certainty and long-term direction needed to transform patient care and secure the future of our NHS.
“Our vision is clear, our commitment is assured, so let’s deliver the NHS of the future.”
Half a million lives will be saved over the next 10 years by the Government’s NHS plan, Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed.
He said: “The experts who wrote the plan say it will lead to 150,000 heart attack, stroke and dementia cases prevented, and 55,000 more people surviving cancer each year.
“In all, half a million lives saved over the next 10 years.
“Funded by taxpayers, designed by doctors, delivered by this Government.”
However, Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the plan “cannot be delivered while trusts still have 100,000 workforce vacancies”. He said: “We need urgent action to solve what trust leaders currently describe as their biggest problem. It’s a major concern that we will have to wait longer to get the comprehensive plan that is needed here.”
British Medical Association council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “While the Government has highlighted plans to expand capacity and grow the workforce, very little has been offered in the way of detail.
“Given that there are 100,000 staff vacancies within the NHS, the longterm sustainability of the NHS requires a robust workforce plan that addresses the reality of the staffing crisis across primary, secondary and community care.”
The report also states that every patient in England will be offered GP appointments online or over the phone within five years.
The move is part of a digital revolution which the NHS claims will cut a third of face-to-face hospital outpatient visits.
But the plans have sparked concerns that patients who cannot or do not want to use digital services may be left behind.
Other tech innovations described in the plan include home monitoring equipment that sends data about a patient’s condition to health care providers.
Digital scales could be used to monitor patients’ weight after surgery, a location tracker could keep an eye on patients with dementia and home testing equipment could be given to patients taking blood-thinning drugs.
Around 100,000 mums-to-be will be given digital access to their records instead of the traditional “red book” pregnancy log and development of the NHS smartphone app will continue.
Mrs May said she wanted the NHS to make greater use of technology “not only to make health care safer and more effective, but to make the most of exciting new possibilities and give you greater control over your own care”.
Mr Stevens said: “The NHS Long Term Plan means a major digital upgrade for the health service, which means patients can access advice at the touch of a button. This will mean that we can make one in three outpatient appointments unnecessary, sparing patients around 30 million trips and freeing up doctors, nurses and other staff for other duties such as our drive to increase early cancer diagnosis to save lives.”
However, patient welfare groups have warned that older people who are reluctant to use digital services must not be left behind.
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: “If we are going to do away with many outpatient appointments for good medical reasons it is important that older people still have ways of getting timely expert advice and raising concerns.”