Health and care sector latest developments
Hospitals in England see more patients, but waiting lists barely fall
New analysis from the IFS shows that hospitals in England are treating more patients and becoming more productive, with efficiency gains exceeding the government’s target.
However, as the Financial Times reports, despite this increased activity, overall waiting lists have barely fallen, mainly because patients now tend to require more appointments and procedures.
While ministers stress the rising productivity and some reduction in waiting numbers, the IFS warns that these gains will feel insignificant to the public unless they translate into a drop in delays.
Millions offered no choice of provider
Millions of patients are being offered no choice of provider when referred for secondary care and tests, contrary to national guidance, according to NHS England information.
By law, patients are allowed to choose their provider when referred for a first appointment for consultant-led treatment.
The NHS e-Referral Service is the NHS’s national digital system for booking and managing elective appointments and is used in primary care consultations to book appointments; as well as directly by patients via the ‘manage your referral’ website or the NHS App.
It was introduced in an effort to make referrals faster and more transparent, and it was claimed it would also lead to patients being offered more choice.
Since 2023, guidance has encouraged referrers ‘to ensure they shortlist on average five choices from which the patient may choose’.
NHS Confederation report: Exploring the future model of dentistry and oral health provision
The NHS Confederation has published a report examining the challenges currently facing NHS dentistry across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The report outlines the consensus reached by system leaders on the essential components of a sustainable, prevention‑focused model.
The insights are drawn from a roundtable discussion convened by the NHS Confederation in partnership with NEC Software Solutions. The event brought together leaders from across the three UK nations, including providers, commissioners, regulators, unions, and patient representatives.
The briefing highlights key discussions on workforce sustainability, improving access - particularly for people in deprived and underserved communities - digital innovation, and integrated care models
Limited uptake of full FDP benefits in NHS trusts
Only 16 NHS trusts, just over 10 per cent of acute trusts, are currently using all core components of the £1 billion Federated Data Platform (FDP), meaning most trusts are not getting the ‘full suite’ of benefits.
According to HSJ, NHS England leaders stress that the FDP delivers its clearest interoperability and productivity gains when all core products are deployed, but usage of key solutions can be as low as 20 per cent.
NHS England plans to make all core FDP products mandatory by April 2026 and has launched a £720,000 evaluation to assess the programme’s effectiveness, impact, and value for money.
Badenoch pushes for tighter rules on disability benefits
Kemi Badenoch has launched a Conservative review aimed at reducing the scope and cost of the disability benefits system, arguing that an “age of diagnosis” for “low-level mental health issues” like ADHD has made current levels of support unsustainable.
As The Guardian notes, she said the disability benefits review would examine “at what stage support should come in, and how long it should last”, and signalled that the party would reassess “which conditions the state treats as disabilities”.
Badenoch also criticised the use of relative poverty metrics as “a bad measure”, insisting they fail to reflect rising living standards.
Framing rising benefit use as partly driven by choice, she claimed some people reject work “because they think those jobs are beneath them”, and defended her blunt rhetoric, saying “I use language that’s going to cut through”.
Maternity care 'much worse' than anticipated, review chief says
A new report has highlighted the poor care impacting England's maternity services.
The BBC highlights comments from Baroness Amos, who is chairing the review into maternity care, explaining that what she has seen "has been much worse" than anticipated.
Serious issues raised in the review's initial report include women feeling blamed for their baby's death, discriminatory services towards poor and black mothers, and staff receiving death threats while working in maternity units.
Responding to the findings, the health secretary emphasised that "the systemic failures causing preventable tragedies cannot be ignored".
With the final report set to be published in spring, there has been some criticism that the review does not go far enough.
HSJ reports comments from bereaved families of the review being "light touch", since it does not deep dive into the performance of individual trusts, with Baroness Amos explaining that "the aim of the investigation is to identify systemic, national issues".
