NHS Backlogs and waiting times
Public Accounts Committee
Closed
Inquiry
The NHS in England was running at close to maximum capacity before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to a sharp drop in routine NHS activity, resulting in more people waiting for treatment, and waiting for longer . The Committee will question the senior officials at DHSC and NHS …
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5
Recommendations
18
Conclusions
1
Report
1
Oral session
1
Event
Activity timeline 4 events
27 May
2022
2022
16 Mar
2022
2022
Report published
15 Dec
2021
2021
Oral evidence
15 Dec
2021
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
15 Dec 2021
View on parliament.uk
NHS Backlogs and waiting times
Amanda Pritchard · NHS England
Matthew Style · Department of Health and Social Care
Professor Stephen Powis · NHS England
Sir Chris Wormald · Department of Health and Social Care
Sir James Mackey · NHS England
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs and waiting times in England | HC 747 | 16 Mar 2022 | 23 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
2
Recommendation
Accepted
Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs…
At our evidence session the Department and NHSE&I appeared unwilling to make measurable commitments about...
At our evidence session the Department and NHSE&I appeared unwilling to make measurable commitments about what new funding for elective recovery would achieve in terms of additional NHS capacity and reduced patient waiting times. NHSE&I will receive an additional £8 …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and published the Elective Recovery Plan to eliminate waits of longer than a year for elective care by March 2025 and to have 95% of patients needing a diagnostic test receive it within six weeks by March 2025. NHSE will deliver up to 100 more community diagnostic centers across the country by 2025.
HM Treasury
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3
Recommendation
Accepted
Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs…
The NHS will be less able to deal with backlogs if it does not address...
The NHS will be less able to deal with backlogs if it does not address longstanding workforce issues and ensure the existing workforce, including in urgent and emergency care and general practice, is well supported. NHSE&I believes it will be …
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Government Response
The government agrees and states that ensuring the NHS has a workforce in the right numbers and with the right skills to deliver service commitments to patients is crucial; growth of the NHS workforce continues to be a priority. It has also commissioned NHS England and Improvement and HEE to develop a Long-Term Workforce Plan to be published in due course.
HM Treasury
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4
Recommendation
Accepted
Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs…
It will be very challenging for the NHS to focus sufficiently on the needs of...
It will be very challenging for the NHS to focus sufficiently on the needs of patients when it comes to dealing with backlogs, both patients already on waiting lists and those who have avoided seeking or been unable to obtain …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that better information and support for patients is a key part of the Elective Recovery Plan; NHSE&I launched the My Planned Care platform and the NHS is prioritizing diagnosis and treatment according to clinical urgency.
HM Treasury
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5
Recommendation
Accepted
Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs…
Waiting times for elective and cancer treatment are too dependent on where people live and...
Waiting times for elective and cancer treatment are too dependent on where people live and there is no national plan to address this postcode lottery. In September 2021, patients in the worst-performing geographic areas were more than twice as likely …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and has done extensive work to model a range of scenarios to better understand the levels of ‘bounce-back’ demand, also working to establish regional and national cancer teams and a national programme to improve the treatment and care of patients.
HM Treasury
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6
Recommendation
Accepted
Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs…
For the next few years it is likely that waiting time performance for cancer and...
For the next few years it is likely that waiting time performance for cancer and elective care will remain poor and the waiting list for elective care will continue to grow. The UK has low numbers of healthcare resources per …
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Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation. NHS England published the Elective Recovery Plan in February 2022 which sets out a clear vision for how the NHS will recover and expand elective and cancer services over the next three years, and what patients can expect, which allows better understanding of future demand.
HM Treasury
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