NHS at risk of social care- style crisis, say trust chiefs

THE NHS cannot cope with its current budget, health leaders have said as they called on the Prime Minister to avoid a “have our cake and eat it” approach to NHS funding.

NHS Providers called for more investment in the health service which is facing a “perfect storm” as it goes into winter.

The NHS faces multiple challenges alongside traditional winter pressures including the threat of a second spike of Covid- 19, recovering services which were disrupted during the pandemic, staff in danger of burn- out and additional pressures for infection control, NHS Providers said.

Even before the pandemic struck earlier this year “growing demand for treatment has consistently outstripped capacity”, according to NHS Providers’ chief executive Chris Hopson.

“Despite the best efforts of frontline staff treating more patients than ever before, many patients have not received the care they need and that NHS staff wanted to provide,” he added.

NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, called for the Government to examine funding for the NHS.

Mr Hopson told the NHS Providers’ first online conference that the health service faces a “similar fate” to social care – which is “in crisis” because it has not been funded properly and sustainably. The NHS faces a similar fate if it is not properly funded, he added.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “This Government has put neverbefore- seen levels of investment into our NHS, both before and during the global pandemic. We provided £ 31.9bn extra in July for health services to tackle coronavirus, with £ 3bn specifically to support the NHS during winter and to update A& E facilities.”