NHS chief’s plea to free up 18,000 beds

NHS boss Simon Stevens says further funding is needed to improve social care and free up the 18,000 hospital beds occupied by ‘ long- stay’ patients who have been there for at least three weeks.

He also confirmed plans to deny patients operations to stop snoring, ease varicose veins and help trapped nerves under a sweeping transformations of services.

Minor operations which experts say have little or no benefit to patients are to be slashed in a drive to save £200 million a year. NHS bosses say a provisional list of 17 procedures has been drawn up in a plan to banish ineffective and outdated treatments.

However, patient groups fear it could result in care being rationed for those who complain the loudest.

Mr Stevens said the NHS still had more responsibility to reduce inefficiencies.

Productivity in the NHS grew faster than the rest of the UK economy over the past five years, he added.