NHS return to normal levels will be a ‘ big stretch’

GETTING NHS services to nearnormal levels before winter will be a ‘ big stretch’, an expert has warned.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said it was “uncertain” how soon things can return to normal, adding that the health service has been“turned inside out” during the pandemic.

Last week, Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS in England, wrote to all hospitals asking them to “accelerate the return to near- normal levels of non- Covid health services, making full use of the capacity available in the ‘ window of opportunity’ between now and winter”.

Asked whether this request was realistic, Mr Dickson told BBC Radio 4’ s Today programme: “I think it’s a big stretch.

“I think it’s very uncertain at the moment how quickly people will be able to get up and running, and, of course, there’s lots of other uncertainties around.

“It’s not just obviously trying to run Covid and non- Covid services, staff having to wear this PPE equipment, social distancing, all those things inhibit productivity and some services at the moment are around 60 per cent.

“There’s another factor, actually, which is about patient confidence and whether patients will actually come in the numbers that we need them to come because there are sort of two messages coming from government at the moment.

“One is the virus is still here, be cautious, stay alert, these are not normal times. At the same time, we’re trying to say NHS services are open for business and we need patients with symptoms to come forward.

“I don’t think we’re saying this is impossible but we are saying don’t expect too much and we want to lower expectations about what the NHS can do.”