Billions needed to tackle huge NHS backlog, says BMA

The British Medical Association has warned that more than £10 billion of additional funding is needed just to tackle the growing backlog in care left in the wake of coronavirus.

Ahead of Comprehensive Spending Review, the BMA says that the Chancellor must not break his promise to give the NHS whatever it needs, and is calling for both a long-term increase in health spending and immediate investment to cope with the ongoing impact of coronavirus.

Throughout the pandemic, routine services and elective care were put on hold to focus on the crisis, with figures showing: 14.6 million fewer outpatient attendances than expected in England, potentially costing £1.7 billion to work through; and 2.2 million fewer total elective treatments, costing approximately £9 billion to work through.

The BMA says that a recurrent annual real-terms increase in health spending of at least 4.1 per cent is needed, equating to a £9 billion rise compared to government’s planned spending by 2023/24. Additionally, at least £10.7 billion to tackle the backlog of elective care and outpatient appointments, and a multi-year settlement for capital funding in the NHS is required, with at least £6.5 billion to cover outstanding maintenance costs and £1 billion for GP premises.

The association also says that the government must invest in the NHS workforce, their welfare and staff retention, including a fair pay settlement that both recognises the sacrifices of doctors fighting the pandemic on the front line and the huge debt the nation owes healthcare workers at this time, and a commitment to start addressing the real terms pay cut that do.

Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “In March, the Chancellor said the NHS would get whatever it needs – and it is vital that he does not break his promise now. Both the NHS and our public health services went into the pandemic underfunded, understaffed and overstretched – and without an urgent injection of resources and a bold long-term funding plan the government is once again setting both up to fail; and in doing so failing patients, staff and the wider health of our nation.

“The Covid pandemic has shone a piercing light on what happens when a system already pushed to its limits by years of under-resourcing faces a new crisis. With no additional room for manoeuvre, wards were repurposed, staff were redeployed and millions of patients had care postponed as all but the most urgent services were cancelled – something we are unfortunately beginning to see happen again in this second wave.

“So not only do we desperately need urgent extra funding to tackle the second wave and the acute pressures it causes, but also billions more are needed to work through the huge backlog in care left by the first – as well as a long-term settlement that puts the NHS, public health and social care services on a sustainable footing for the future.

“To protect the health of everyone, we need to invest in looking after and retaining our expert healthcare and public health staff, prioritising welfare, working conditions and ensuring they’re properly rewarded for the vital work they do. The Chancellor this week has a golden opportunity to make good on his word, and begin to undo the damage wrought by the failure to invest in the nation’s health – none of us can afford for him to waste it.”