This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
PAC criticises public bickering between PM and NHS
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised a dispute between Prime Minister Theresa May and NHS England boss Simon Stevens over finances, in its latest report on tackling NHS finance challenges.
The Committee criticised ‘bickering in public’ between key figures responsible for the health service at a time when the unsustainable financial performance of NHS bodies has worsened.
The PAC called on the Department of Health, NHS England and No. 10 to work together ‘in the best interests of patients’ and produce a ‘clear and transparent recover plan’.
Other recommendations made in the report, included: a report by July 2017 on how NHS finances are affecting patient care; an end to using NHS capital budgets to meet day-to-day revenue spending, which is ‘not good value for the taxpayer’; NHS England and NHS Improvement to set out how
they will support the worst-performing areas and ‘convince the public of the benefits of the plans’; an assessment of the impact of financial pressure on social care, by July 2017; and a report into whether there is capacity for NHS bodies to ‘deliver everything they are expected’ to in terms of care and services, by March 2017.
Meg Hillier MP, chair of the PAC, said: “Contradictory statements about funding from the Prime Minister and head of NHS England are an insult to taxpayers who deserve an honest, grown-up conversation about future finance and service provision.
“Government's rigid adherence to a set of stock lines about funding, in the face of mounting evidence its plan isn't up to the job, is not it. It is inconceivable the government would allow a catastrophic failure in the NHS and we expect it to take targeted action now to support NHS bodies facing severe financial problems.
“But let us be clear: this sticking-plaster approach is not sustainable, will not enable the NHS to get ahead of the problems it faces, and represents neither good value to taxpayers nor the best interests of patients.
“We urge the government to respond positively to the recommendations in this Report and make rapid progress in understanding and addressing these very real challenges."
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