Considering the impact Covid is having on our NHS services
The latest data continues to confirm Covid-19 is having a long-lasting disruptive impact on the provision of NHS care. A decision was taken to effectively shut down the vast majority of treatment services other than for Covid in the first wave and then changes were introduced as tohowreferralstohospitalwereto be made through the latter part of 2020. The backlog that the NHS is now facing is staggering.
Year-on-year from 2019 onwards there have been millions of fewer elective procedures in England and just in the last 15 months therehavebeencloseto30million feweroutpatientattendancesasa result of NHS resources being focussed on Covid.
Waiting lists now sit in the region of six million for patients awaiting treatment: this does not take into account those who are not yet in the system.
Thesefiguresareworryingbut the infection control measures andcontinuednewprotocolsthat the NHS have introduced both at GPlevelandathospitalmeansthat this backlog cannot be addressed asswiftlyasmightotherwisehave been the case.
The problems many of us have faced in seeing GPs over the last year or so may be another problem in waiting as delays that otherwise may not have occurred in commencing investigations and making referrals for treatments are yet to be seen.
There are questions over how many people avoided A&E during the high waves of Covid.
A perfect storm may well be brewing in terms of demand upon GPs and A&E departments as weslowlygetthepandemicunder control.
Oneofthebiggestareasofconcernisforthosepatientssuffering from serious conditions. There has also been a drop in attendances for screening services.
We all understand that the unprecedented nature of the pandemicwasgoingtohavesignificant consequences for our NHS, however I fear the tragic statistics that we see on a regular basis may not be the only ones we see as we come out of the pandemic.
It is of course my hope that the damage done by the pandemic to other services within our NHS is notasbadasmanycommentators and the statistics suggest.
My firm can assist in raising concerns with local service providers if you are concerned about continued delays in getting treatment.ContactBenHoareBellLLP on 0191 565 3112 or email advice@ benhoarebell.co.uk. Visit www. benhoarebell.co.uk for further information.