Lack of investment leaving patients at risk of harm

A new survey has revealed that 82 per cent of NHS trust leaders think that the current climate of restricted capital funding poses a medium or high risk to patient safety.

NHS Providers, who conducted the research, emphasise that such a situation could undermine plans to transform the NHS and says the findings highlight the scale of the challenge of NHS capital funding that still exists, and the direct impact this has on everyone who relies on the health service.

The survey also revealed that: 97 per cent of respondents are worried about their trust’s requirement for capital investment; 94 per cent are concerned that it is affecting patients’ experience of care; and 92 per cent think that the restricted capital environment is impacting on staff wellbeing and recruitment.

The survey is launched as part of a new campaign by NHS Providers calling on the government to address the challenge of NHS capital funding in the forthcoming spending round. The campaign will seek to highlight that the Prime Minister’s recent capital announcement can only be considered a first down payment on the NHS’s needs.

The NHS’ annual capital budget is now less than its £6 billion backlog maintenance bill (which is growing by 10 per cent a year), meaning that issues like leaking roofs and broken boilers, ligature points in mental health facilities and outdated technology cannot be fully addressed – even before any investment can be made in new buildings and services.

NHS Providers is calling for three steps to be taken by the government. Firstly, for ministers to set a multiyear NHS capital funding settlement. Secondly, to commit to bringing the NHS’ capital budget into line with comparable countries, and, lastly, to establish an efficient and effective mechanism for prioritising, accessing and spending NHS capital based on need.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “We need to rebuild our NHS, and give our doctors and nurses the tools to create the 21st century health service that patients expect and that we can all be proud of. We know the government shares our aim of a properly-funded and well-designed system of capital funding, but this support now needs to be translated into urgent action, because the risk to patients is rising every day.”

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: “This warning from hospital bosses echoes the concerns Labour has consistently raised about the state of disrepair of hospitals and their equipment, putting patient safety at risk. The Tories have cut hospital budgets for upgrades with their £4 billion plus smash and grab capital raids. Just two weeks ago, Boris Johnson was caught out misleading the public over his recent hospitals announcements. The truth is, as Johnson’s top adviser confirmed, the Tories don’t care about the NHS.”