The NHS is in “serious trouble” with rising waiting times and record-low public satisfaction, as it is “weakened” by a lack of capital investment, according to Lord Darzi’s NHS report.
Lord Darzi’s latest report on NHS performance highlights severe service delays, including rising waiting times and over a million people awaiting community and mental health services. It notes that hospital procedure waits have surged, with “more than 300,000… waiting for over a year,” and cancer care suffers from “appreciably higher cancer mortality rates than other countries.”
The report also found that cardiovascular care is worsening, with rising mortality rates and treatment delays increasing by 28 per cent while A&E performance has plummeted, with service levels dropping to just over 60 per cent.
Lord Darzi does highlight that there have been some improvements in quality of care, such as increased safety and the success of preventive programs like the Diabetes Prevention Programme. However, he notes that the NHS budget is disproportionately spent on hospitals rather than community care, leading to inefficiencies and increased congestion in A&E departments.
According to the report, key issues include a £11.6 billion backlog in maintenance and a £37 billion shortfall in capital investment, lagging tens of billions behind similar countries, and resulting in outdated facilities.
Meanwhile, productivity has fallen due to capital shortages and inefficiencies, leading to fewer outpatient appointments and worsening experiences for both patients and staff despite a 17 per cent increase in hospital staff.
Lord Darzi also says that the NHS is underperforming in contributing to national prosperity, with 2.8 million people economically inactive due to long-term sickness, primarily mental health issues. He says the pandemic has further exacerbated these problems, resulting in significant care backlogs.
Simplyhealth CEO Paul Schreier says: “Almost 19 million days were taken off work in 2023 for physical health problems alone, with over 8 million days taken for back pain, and 6 million for dental issues. We urgently need to help people access the healthcare they need to get back to work, and workplace health support is urgently needed to do this.
“Earlier intervention in these areas will both ensure that people are more productive at work, and that more complex, and much more expensive, problems are not stored up for the NHS to resolve further down the line. It is for that reason that alongside the important healthcare provided by the NHS, the government should mobilise businesses themselves to offer workplace health support.
“Government must collaborate with businesses, starting with acknowledging low cost in-work health support, such as health plans, as a proven method to help prevent and tackle in-work sickness. Additionally, the excessive tax burden based on health cover products must be reduced to better support wellbeing at work and drive economic growth. This burden dulls the incentive for workplaces to further support their people’s health. Our research shows that employers recognise their role in providing this support, and doing more of this would reduce the costs of downstream treatment in the NHS.
“We also need to see urgent attention on improving access to dentistry across the country. This must start with reform of the dental contract, considering the role of mixed and private practice in providing better access, alongside oral health education campaigns.”
