Wednesday 8 June 2022 09:07 AM Biggest shake-up to NHS management in 40 years 'doesn't go far enough', says ... trends now
Health Secretary Sajid Javid called the findings 'stark' and acknowledged parts of NHS leadership 'need to urgently improve'. He noted 'culture and leadership can be the difference between life and death'
Sajid Javid is to unveil his plans for the biggest shake-up of NHS management in a generation today — but critics have already said it does not go far enough.
The Health Secretary has ordered the NHS to cut its ‘diversity and inclusion’ managers – saying their salaries could be better spent on the front line.
He has vowed to be ‘watchful of any waste or wokery’ amid concern that a £12billion a year funding boost - raised through a 1.25 per cent National Insurance hike - will be swallowed by management salaries.
Mr Javid is demanding that bosses divert the salaries of up to £115,000 to patient priorities, such as tackling a record waiting list of 6.4million people.
The action comes in response to a major independent review led by a former military chief, which found leadership in the health service was 'institutionally inadequate'.
The Messenger report found 'evidence of poor behaviours and attitudes such as discrimination, bullying and blame cultures' in certain parts of the NHS and social care system that has left some staff 'not feeling comfortable to speak up'.
Suzie Bailey, from the Kings Fund health thinktank, said plans to improve health and social care workforces 'is to be welcomed'.
But, speaking to BBC Radio 4 this morning, she warned the report does not go far enough to address burnout and staffing shortages that pre-date the pandemic.
NHS Providers issued a warning that there is a 'long road ahead' to tackle NHS backlogs. Results from its survey of 106 trust leaders — representing half of the sector — revealed 92 per cent believe workforce shortages are the main barrier stopping activity levels from increasing
Two-thirds of hospital bosses said they were 'confident' or 'very confident' that they could operate on all patients who have been waiting longer than one year by March 2025 — the deadline set by Mr Javid in the NHS recovery plan, which was unveiled in February. However, only one third said they could meet targets for this year, which include ending two-year waits by July 2022. Half of trusts don't think they can reduce long waits for mental health services
The number of people waiting for routine hospital treatment in England has soared to another record of 6.36million. NHS data shows one in nine people were in the queue for elective operations such as hip and knee replacements and cataracts surgery by March — up from 6.18m in February
HM Treasury data shows the NHS received £100.4billion in 2010/11 and its budget had grown steadily until 2019. In 2020, the NHS was given £129.7billion of core funding for its usual services, which was topped up with an extra £18billion to help with the pressures from the pandemic. For 2021/22 the Treasury said the health service is set to receive £136.1billion pounds of core funding, as well as £3billion to help with the Covid recovery
She said: 'Anything that supports the health and care workforce is to be welcomed.
'However, the elephant in the room is really the deep workforce crisis that predates the pandemic and that the Government has been quite reluctant to face up to.
'There is a huge numbers of vacancies, staff are exhausted, they were exhausted before the pandemic.'
She added: 'This review is welcome but my concerns is will it actually address the size of the workforce crisis?
