The last couple of years have been very challenging for our NHS, with Covid-19 significantly adding to workloads, including with the isolation measures needed as well as treatments. We know that in 2020 especially, many people understandably put off having tests or seeking treatments, as well as many routine treatments suffering delays. Waiting lists grew considerably.
In February this year, the NHS Elective Recovery Plan was published, setting out how the health service would address the backlogs that built up during Covid. The good news is that the first phase of that plan has now been delivered.
More than 22,500 patients who had been waiting over two years for treatment have been treated, virtually eliminating the longest treatment waits, as well as the successful prevention of a further 51,000 patients from having to wait two years or more has been achieved. This is good news but there is of course more to do in reducing overall treatment waiting times.
While we are having a long hot summer, the autumn and then winter are not too far away. This is traditionally the busiest time for the NHS. Our Conservative government is busy planning ahead, recognising the risk of the NHS facing a risk of potential increased demand from seasonal flu, another Covid wave and fallout from the global cost of living crisis.
The Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, has instructed Whitehall to “move at pace” to be ready, including speeding up the recruitment of more staff and healthcare workers for the NHS from abroad, to help fill the many vacancies. He is also keen to bolster the social care sector where there are 105,000 vacancies, which if it struggles to cope, leads to more pressures on the NHS.
With the need for more nurses and staff to increase capacity, the Government has rightly lifted the cap on healthcare visas, and nearly 76,000 were granted in the 12 months up to March, compared with 14,000 the year before. India was the biggest provider of workers to the sector last year, with over 32,000 moving to Britain, followed by Nigeria and the Philippines.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
17th August 2022
