To say that the NHS is under strain is arguably something of an understatement, with figures from the beginning of last year revealing a historic high waiting list number of 4.46 million people.
This situation is unlikely to get better any time soon either, with a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses and a recent surge in Covid cases stretching our National Health Service to breaking point.
In this post, we’ll look at the main reasons behind the struggles in the NHS and how this is likely to impact patients.
The Lack of Funding
As part of his 2019 election campaign, Boris Johnson boldly pledged to “build and fund 40 new hospitals” in the UK.
However, this number actually included a large number of existing hospitals that were simply being extended, while question marks were also raised about how the Tories calculated the amounts being invested into the NHS in real terms.
Because of this, the independent Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) later gave the project an ‘amber / red’ ranking, which means that the project’s delivery is in doubt with substantial risks present in numerous, prominent areas.
At the same time, our NHS is burdened by a whopping £9 billion maintenance backlog, with more than half of this required to tackle “significant” failings that potentially pose a risk to staff and patients.
This is part of a wider issue, with the budget afforded to the NHS having only increased marginally in real terms since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. As part of wider austerity cuts, NHS spending has increased by an average of 0.9% per year since 2010, while spending within the sector has soared by 4% per annum.
The Lack of Staff Explored
Beyond the lack of funding, the NHS also has a staff shortage that continues to undermine its ability to function effectively.
Clinical vacancies are dominated primarily by nurses, while a shortage of doctors also ensures that there are significant shortfalls being experienced throughout the NHS.
Because of this, NHS trusts are struggling to optimise their performance levels and expand the number of people that they’re able to treat. The lack of staff members is also placing even greater pressure and existing employees, increasing the risk of worker burnout and undermining the quality of their work.
A new poll by YouGov seems to have confirmed these issues, revealing that the NHS lacks the requisite staff and equipment to deliver an adequate standard of care to cancer patients.
In fact, a survey of 2,500 adults afflicted by cancer found that 75% agreed with this assertion, directly placing lives at risk in some cases and increasing the likelihood of future medical negligence claims.
The Last Word
While a recent review into health and social care leadership in the UK appears to have at least addressed some of these issues, some of the challenges facing the NHS have been prevalent for nearly a decade.
So, without concrete proposals or ideas to tackle NHS backlogs, increase funding and create adequate staffing levels over time, our National Health Service will continue to struggle in the near term.
This will continue to burden employees and place patients at risk, so urgent action is required at a governmental level if things are to improve.