The Royal College of Physicians has responded to Lord Darzi's NHS review.
Lord Darzi has today published the findings from his Independent investigation of NHS performance in England which was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in July.
The report sought to examine patient access to healthcare, the quality of healthcare being provided and the overall performance of the health system.
Lord Darzi’s investigation has concluded that the NHS is currently in a critical condition, citing ballooning waiting lists, underinvestment and poorly allocated resources, overwhelmed A&E departments, crumbling infrastructure and widespread staff shortages.
We were pleased to have contributed to the review’s expert reference group as well as submitting the findings from our UK consultant physician census. The RCP will continue to press the government to undertake the important work of fixing our NHS.
Dr Mumtaz Patel, the RCP’s vice president of education and acting as RCP president, said:
“The Darzi Review reveals the true extent of an NHS in crisis.
“Sadly for the medical workforce, its stark findings will come as no surprise. Every area of the health service is facing unrelenting pressure. Our workforce has been and continues to suffer, while patient satisfaction has decreased.
“It’s welcome to see the report make clear many of the problems the RCP has been raising for years; from large waiting lists and poor infrastructure to a demoralised and understaffed workforce, with a worrying decline in the numbers of clinical academics. Compounding these issues, successive governments have not done enough to prevent ill-health and limit the strain of avoidable illness on our health service.
“Lord Darzi rightly recognises the significant role that tackling the social determinants of health would play in reducing demand for healthcare, and that it is ‘impossible to understand the challenges facing the NHS without also understanding what is facing social care’.
“The prime minister has pledged long-term reform as opposed to sticking plaster solutions and is right to focus on moving from analogue to digital, hospital to community based care and from a sickness to prevention approach.
“While the devil will be in the detail, today’s review puts a spotlight on many areas that need urgent attention. It recognises the extraordinary depth of clinical talent we have across the workforce, as well as commitment to the foundational principles of the NHS. Our medical workforce is the lifeblood of the NHS. We agree re-engaging staff must be a priority, with 47% of physicians saying in our latest census of UK consultant physicians that enjoyment in their job has decreased. Also that innovation is crucial to making the NHS more sustainable; that the NHS must stick to its net zero ambitions and that investment in modern buildings and equipment is sorely needed.
“The patient voice must be heard loud and clear and be central in guiding future reform. As we said in our manifesto, patients tell us that care can be fragmented and systems confusing – too many people are treated by multiple teams without effective communication. Clinical leaders must be empowered to place patients at the heart of healthcare service redesign and patients themselves must be empowered to make choices about their care.
“Social care must also be front and centre in the government’s plans. We know bed capacity issues are being further exacerbated by discharge delays due to pressures elsewhere in the care pathway. The social sector must be appropriately staffed and resourced as equal partners if long-term NHS reform is to be successful.
“The government must do more to support specialist care in the community. We know there are good examples of community-based specialist care that can be spread more widely. This includes examples of the Hospital at Home model, leaving hospital capacity for those who need it.
“We call on government to address these issues systematically in its promised 10-year plan. The Prime Minister has stressed that the plan will take years and not months. But the government must take action immediately, consulting widely on this plan - the expertise of doctors, other healthcare staff and patients will be critical to designing and implementing successful solutions.”