Managing NHS backlogs & waiting times

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 31 Oct 2022 Closed: 1 Jun 2023 Parliament page
As the Committee reported in March, the NHS in England was already running at close to maximum capacity before COVID-19. Pandemic disruption caused a sharp increase in waiting times and backlogs. Addressing these backlogs is a multi-faceted challenge for the NHS. In this follow up inquiry, the Committee will question … Read more
8 Recommendations
16 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
2 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
30 May
2023
Report published
24 May
2023
Correspondence
1 Mar
2023
Report published
19 Dec
2022
Correspondence
28 Nov
2022
Oral evidence
28 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
28 Nov 2022
View on parliament.uk
Managing NHS backlogs & waiting time
Amanda Pritchard · NHS England Matthew Style · Department of Health and Social Care Professor Sir Steve Powis · NHS England Sir Chris Wormald · Department of Health and Social Care Sir James Mackey · NHS England
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times i… HC 729 1 Mar 2023 24 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
Clear
5 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
NHSE started 2022–23 with a strategy but spent most of the year dealing with tactical...
NHSE started 2022–23 with a strategy but spent most of the year dealing with tactical issues and its strategic and programme management of the recovery must improve. NHSE was allocated £14 billion of recovery funding in September 2021 (for the … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need to improve strategic and programme management of recovery and describes monitoring and support structures in place for providers at the highest risk and efforts to address health inequalities.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department of Health (the Department) and NHS England (NHSE) about NHS backlogs and waiting times in England.1
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's conclusion regarding NHS backlogs and waiting times and states their commitment to reducing cancer waiting times.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
We shared our concerns about the risks facing the NHS and its ability to deliver...
We shared our concerns about the risks facing the NHS and its ability to deliver the recovery targets and we pressed NHSE on how confident it was that it would meet the target to increase elective activity to 129% of … Read more
Government Response
The Department and NHS England have stepped up actions to tackle the backlog and the ambitions in the Delivery Plan were agreed between NHS England and the government, based on detailed modelling and available funding at the time.
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11 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
Macmillan Cancer Support and Healthwatch Suffolk submitted evidence to us containing powerful examples of the...
Macmillan Cancer Support and Healthwatch Suffolk submitted evidence to us containing powerful examples of the uncertainty, anxiety and other problems long waits cause patients. Macmillan Cancer Support told us that the impact of cancer care backlogs was being felt by … Read more
Government Response
The government states that the department and NHS England have stepped up actions to tackle the backlog since the publication of the Delivery Plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care.
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
The Department has allocated £14 billion to NHS England from 2022–23 to 2024–25 specifically to...
The Department has allocated £14 billion to NHS England from 2022–23 to 2024–25 specifically to recover elective and cancer care, comprising £8 billion of resource funding and £5.9 billion of capital funding, as described in the November 2021 Budget and … Read more
Government Response
The government announced an additional £3.3 billion for each of 2023-24 and 2024-25 and at the 2021 Spending Review, £14 billion was made available to the NHS to support Elective Recovery and NHS England will write to the Committee before summer recess to set out further detail on how funding available for elective recovery will be spent.
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13 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
We asked NHSE about whether, in its view, this would provide the NHS with sufficient...
We asked NHSE about whether, in its view, this would provide the NHS with sufficient funding, given its previous comments about the scale of the negative impact inflation had had on its budgets.26 The Chief Executive told us that it … Read more
Government Response
The government announced an additional £3.3billion for each of 2023-24 and 2024-25 to support the NHS in England. NHS England will write to the Committee before summer recess to set out further detail on how funding available for elective recovery will be spent, together with details of its evaluation plans and initiatives to improve productivity.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
NHSE has estimated that the NHS was around 16% less productive in 2021 than before...
NHSE has estimated that the NHS was around 16% less productive in 2021 than before the pandemic.29 NHSE’s internal analysis indicated that this drop in productivity was not solely due to immediate pandemic pressures, but also resulted from staff being … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines actions to increase activity, manage demand and increase productivity, stating that NHS England monitors progress and has published planning guidance.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
NHSE’s elective recovery programme includes plans for: • GPs to handle many elective cases previously...
NHSE’s elective recovery programme includes plans for: • GPs to handle many elective cases previously dealt with by hospital doctors. Instead of referring some patients for elective care, GPs manage them within the 24 C&AG’s Report, paras 7, 1.15; Autumn … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights actions in the NHS published Delivery Plan are targeted at increasing activity, managing demand or increasing productivity and NHS England carefully monitors progress against delivery targets at regular intervals.
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16 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
We asked how confident NHSE was about the component programmes in its plan, particularly those...
We asked how confident NHSE was about the component programmes in its plan, particularly those aimed at increasing elective and diagnostic capacity. It told us that it did not have strong evidence for some of its programmes at present, but … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines actions to increase activity, manage demand and increase productivity, stating that NHS England monitors progress and has published planning guidance; NHS England will write to the Committee before summer recess to set out further detail of the impact of community diagnostic centres, surgical hubs, use of the independent sector, and the advice and guidance programme.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
Surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres have potential, but success will rely on them being...
Surgical hubs and community diagnostic centres have potential, but success will rely on them being adequately staffed. NHSE currently has limited evidence on hubs’ and CDC’s ability to continue operating when the wider NHS is under significant pressure.36 The Royal … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines actions to increase activity, manage demand and increase productivity, stating that NHS England monitors progress and has published planning guidance; NHS England will write to the Committee before summer recess to set out further detail of the impact of community diagnostic centres, surgical hubs, use of the independent sector, and the advice and guidance programme.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
We also asked NHSE whether its increased use of the independent healthcare sector might detract...
We also asked NHSE whether its increased use of the independent healthcare sector might detract from or reduce activity within the NHS itself. NHSE told us that this was a key consideration in decisions about when to use the independent … Read more
Government Response
The government outlines actions to increase activity, manage demand and increase productivity, stating that NHS England monitors progress and has published planning guidance; NHS England will write to the Committee before summer recess to set out further detail of the impact of community diagnostic centres, surgical hubs, use of the independent sector, and the advice and guidance programme.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
NHSE told us that it monitored performance constantly, with fresh data available weekly, and that...
NHSE told us that it monitored performance constantly, with fresh data available weekly, and that it was continually developing the metrics it uses to track performance. It argued that this was a comprehensive and agile approach.40 We heard how NHSE … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and outlines actions taken, including provider assessments, additional support for high-risk providers, monitoring, and addressing health inequalities, with ICBs expected to develop delivery plans.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Eighth Report - Managing NH…
In response to our question about improving areas that have seen long-term underperformance, sometimes dating...
In response to our question about improving areas that have seen long-term underperformance, sometimes dating back to before the pandemic, NHSE told us that it had sent teams into some areas to support and challenge them.42 The National Audit Office … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and outlines actions taken, including provider assessments, additional support for high-risk providers, monitoring, and addressing health inequalities, with ICBs expected to develop delivery plans.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 24 of 8 classified
Accepted 8
Acknowledged 13
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 2
Total 8 recs + 16 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
24 May 2023 Correspondence from Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer, NHS England, re Thirty Eighth Report on NHS Backlogs and Waiting Times: Recommendations Three and Four, dated 15 May 2023
Parliament page
19 Dec 2022 Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health & Social Care, re PAC Hearing: Managing NHS Backlogs and Waiting Times, dated 12 December 2022
Parliament page