Plans to tackle record NHS waiting lists unveiled with army of reservist medics & one-stop diagnosis shops, Javid says
SAJID Javid has today pledged to end record NHS waiting lists, as he reveals 10 million Brits stayed away from care during the pandemic.
In the Commons, the Health Minister also shared stark news over 300,000 people have been waiting for help for over a year.
This waiting list has spiralled from 1,600 people - a 190-fold rise compared to pre-pandemic times.
The Health Secretary declared the country now faces "a new mission to fight what the virus has brought with it".
Striking an optimistic tone, he promised 99 per cent of patients can expect to wait less than a year for elective treatment by March 2024.
He revealed an army of reservist medics will help tackle the backlog, along with one-stop shops for checks, scans and tests at new community centres.
And he outlined plans to "improve the information and support for patients" with a new online platform, My Planned Care, to launch later this month.
This hopes to give Brits more control over their health and offer more options if they are waiting too long for treatment.
Mr Javid said: "I know the anxiety that patients feel when they are waiting for care, especially if they feel that they don't have the certainty about where they sit in the queue, and I am determined to make sure that as we enter this next phase, we will be open and transparent with patients."
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He praised the NHS for staying steadfast on the pandemic frontline - but solemnly spoke of the scale of the Covid backlog, adding: "As a result of focusing on urgent care, the NHS couldn't deal with non urgent care as much as anyone would like - the British people have of course understood this."
More than six million patients in England alone – around one in nine people - are currently stuck on hospital waiting lists.
The new plans - which sets out how the NHS will spend £39 billion over three years - aims to offer 17 million more diagnostic tests and nine million more checks by 2025.
Mr Javid wants to eradicate waits of over 12 months within the next three years, with waiting lists staying high until March 2024.
He added: "Sadly, this number will continue rising before it falls.
"A lot of people understandably stayed away from the NHS during the heights of the pandemic, and the most up-to-date estimate from the NHS is that that number is around 10 million people.
"I want these people to know that the NHS is open. I want them to come forward for the care they need."
The Covid Backlog Recovery Plan pledges to:
- Eliminate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025
- By July 2022, no one will wait longer than two years for an elective treatment
- The NHS will aim to eliminate waits of over 18 months by April 2023
- Three quarters of patients who have been urgently referred by their GP for suspected cancer will be diagnosed, or have cancer ruled out within 28 days
- Returning the number of people waiting more than 62 days from an urgent referral back to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023
- Deliver around 30 per cent more elective activity by 2024/25 than before the pandemic, after accounting for the impact of an improved care offer
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said: “The NHS is there for us all in our time of need, but the pandemic has put unprecedented strain on health workers and patients alike.
"Today we have launched the biggest catch-up programme in the history of the health service backed by unprecedented funding.
“These measures will make sure patients receive the right care, in the right place at the right time as we bust the Covid backlogs and recover from the pandemic.”
People will be able to go to shopping centres and retail parks for tests - with a single appointment for multiple check ups.
The blitz also plans to focus on treating cancer patients faster. Under the proposals, the number of follow-up appointments will be slashed by at least a quarter to free up capacity.
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And the NHS will also work more closely with private providers, with patients moved around the country to take advantage of free beds.
The publication of the NHS Elective Care Recovery Plan was postponed after ministers failed to sign off the draft document.
It comes after Boris Johnson yesterday said said the Government is setting "tough targets" for dealing with the NHS backlog in England.
Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Kent, the Prime Minister said the "vast majority" of patients who suspect they have cancer should get a diagnosis within 28 days.
He said that, from March of next year, nobody should have to wait more than two months for a cancer treatment.
Mr Johnson said they are putting "huge sums" into the NHS and it is essential to ensure they deliver for patients and for the taxpayer.
"We are now working with the NHS to set some tough targets so that we are able to deliver for the patient and also for the taxpayer," he said.
"Those are very tough targets. We've got to make sure that the NHS delivers them."
Responding to the NHS electice recovery plan published this afternoon, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Today’s plans kickstart elective care recovery, but they don’t go far enough.
"There are hundreds of thousands of people waiting for a heart test or treatment in England, and millions more living with heart disease – but we did not hear concrete detail on how their unique needs will be met.
“As we navigate the aftermath of one of the most difficult health crises in recent history, the vast, growing, and increasingly urgent backlog of vital heart scans, treatments, and operations demands specific attention."
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Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “The focus this plan gives us for the next 3 years is welcome, as is its recognition that staff are central to successful elective recovery.
"But we must remember that the pressure the service is currently under has become the norm. The plan will only be successful if it is implemented alongside recovery of urgent and emergency care, as the two are intimately entwined both with respect to workforce and estate.
