NHS plans for coming year look impossible to deliver

Health leaders have warned that a survey of NHS trust leaders has revealed widespread scepticism about the ability of the NHS to meet performance and financial targets in 2018/19.

Tough Task: The NHS delivering for patients and staff in 2018/19, published by NHS Providers, claims that patients’ experience of care will continue to fall below the standards trusts consider acceptable as a result of the overwhelming pressures facing the service.

Despite Prime Minister Theresa May recently pledging long term funding for the NHS, the report warns that failing to set an achievable task for trusts risks creating a toxic culture, based on pretence, which will then weaken accountability, damage morale and erode public confidence in the NHS.

NHS Providers also highlight the lack of capacity in terms of beds and staff affecting hospitals, mental health, community and ambulance trusts, emphasising concerns in A & E, planned hospital treatment and trust finances. For example, based on realistic projections of increased demand, the NHS would need to treat an extra 2.4 million people within four hours to meet the constitutional target of 95 per cent in A&E. Additionally, only 14 per cent of trust leaders are confident that services in planned hospital treatment would be able to avoid lengthening waiting lists.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “The NHS is a can-do organisation. It has shown great resilience in treating more patients than ever before while working to protect standards of care. It also has improved productivity at nine times the rate of the wider economy and delivered greater efficiency savings than other western healthcare systems. But our analysis shows the levels of performance expected and the savings demanded for next year are beyond reach.

“The new financial year begins next week. Whilst we strongly welcome the prime minister’s commitment to increase long-term funding for the NHS, it makes no immediate difference to the tough task facing trusts for next year. This report also shows – as the Prime Minister argued – that this is not just about funding. Trusts are struggling with major workforce shortages and they need help from the government here too.”