NHS Confederation responds to analysis suggesting NHS waits not a significant driver of health-related benefits claims

Responding to a new analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggesting longer NHS waiting lists do not appear to be a significant driver of rising health-related benefit claims, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: 

“While there is no doubt many people on health-related benefits will be waiting for NHS treatment, the evidence from this new IFS analysis is that rising waiting lists for hospital treatments have not been fuelling the rise in working-age adults claiming benefits.

“It is clear that there are many factors that can impact people’s physical and mental health – including poverty, insecure housing and unemployment. We know poor mental health is the main driver of increases in economic inactivity in younger people and there are an estimated 1.6 million people waiting for mental health community care that will not be in hospital or Talking Therapy waiting list figures. 

“Tackling long waiting lists for both physical and mental health treatment is not only good for patients but the economy as well. That is why our members fully support the government’s ambitions to shift from treatment to prevention and to move more care closer to people’s homes, with health system leaders already working with partners to build a comprehensive, whole-system approach to supporting people to work.

“The IFS’s analysis provides further evidence of the need for cross-government co-operation, collaboration and investment on health policy, recognising that most policy that impacts people’s health is made outside the NHS. This should be evidence-led and focused not just on the NHS, but across the social determinants of health to improve the health of our nation as part of the prevention agenda.”