Forty-Fourth Report - NHS backlogs and waiting times in England
Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee
HC 747
16 March 2022
Recommendations
5 results
2
Accepted
At our evidence session the Department and NHSE&I appeared unwilling to make measurable commitments about...
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response Summary
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
View Details
3
Accepted
The NHS will be less able to deal with backlogs if it does not address...
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response Summary
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
View Details
4
Accepted
It will be very challenging for the NHS to focus sufficiently on the needs of...
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response Summary
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
View Details
5
Accepted
Waiting times for elective and cancer treatment are too dependent on where people live and...
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response Summary
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
View Details
6
Accepted
For the next few years it is likely that waiting time performance for cancer and...
Recommendation
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 …
Read more
Government Response Summary
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
View Details