NHS Confederation responds to the Health Secretary's conference speech

Responding to the Health and Social Care Secretary's speech at the Conservative Party Conference, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said:

“Health leaders will welcome the health secretary’s commitment to providing investment to speed up the adoption of technologies across the NHS. For this to truly be effective, it is important that this extra money is easy to access and that it also covers primary care, as these services are often the first door for many patients.

“Having already seen a commitment to reduce the number of national targets imposed on the NHS in favour of local services being in control of deciding what is best for their communities, our members will support the health secretary’s comments that the government wants to focus more on outcomes of care rather than the inputs.

“NHS leaders are committed to supporting patient choice, as they are to providing services that are inclusive, equitable and respectful for everyone. The last thing they will want is to do anything that could prevent anyone from coming forward for care and support they need.  

“While any form of improvement or investment is a positive step, the health secretary’s tone around industrial action is depressing in the week that junior doctors, consultants and radiographers are all staging walkouts. It is unclear what it will take to move from this prolonged stalemate position.

“With waiting lists hitting 7.8 million, cancelled appointments and procedures directly due to strikes exceeding 1 million, and costs already ballooning of industrial action over £1.3bn, the NHS is in a worrying position as winter approaches. This means the Prime Minister’s pledges to reduce waiting lists continues to rest on a knife edge.”