New government urged to make difference from day one

The British Medical Association is calling for decisive action from the new government to tackle NHS pressures and deliver real change for staff, patients and services.

In a letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul outlined the association’s priorities and key areas the new government must address, including: increasing health spending by 4.1 per cent each year; prioritising the workforce; legislating for safe staffing; and mitigating the threat that Brexit poses to the NHS.

The BMA has consistently warned of the damage that leaving the EU could inflict on the NHS, its staff and patients, especially if this is without a deal. In the letter, the association has reiterated that it is vital that the government takes all possible steps to mitigate the threats that Brexit poses to the health service, the profession and the public’s health.

Nagpaul said: “Today is Day One for the government to turn their rhetoric about the NHS delivered on the campaign trail into decisive action that will deliver a health service that’s safe for patients and supportive to staff. We know the NHS is in crisis – hospital bed numbers are at a record low, waiting lists the highest since records began and staff are working in an intolerable climate of stress.

“It’s vital that the government starts today to make a difference on the frontline – especially as we head into the busiest time of the year. The challenges are huge, which is why the BMA calls upon the government to act immediately to halt the decline in our NHS.”