NHS Confederation responds to Medium Term Planning Framework

Responding to the Medium Term Planning Framework which sets out the roadmap for the NHS for the next three years, NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor said:

"This is an ambitious plan to get the NHS back on track and health leaders will welcome how it gives them more time to prepare their plans for the new financial year. Local leaders have been more involved in developing the plan and it's a welcome sign of the government and NHS England’s commitment to having a longer-term planning process.

"The plan does a good job at setting out how the NHS can try to recover performance while also creating the space for the vital reforms set out in the government’s Ten-Year Health Plan. It offers a path to recovery but there are several key risks facing the NHS that stand in the way, not least from the absence of national funding for redundancy costs, further strike action and expected increases in drug pricing.  

"NHS leaders support the government's reform agenda, but the plan is light on the role of neighbourhoods and their central role in bringing care out of hospitals. There also appears to be mixed messages over devolving power to local leaders while being prescriptive about what they need to deliver. We would also welcome more focus on waits in community and mental health services given the rising demand across these sectors.  

"We are concerned about setting such a high target for GPs to see same-day urgent cases. While our members recognise the need to prioritise access to general practice, adding such an ambitious target for the first time could significantly impact on the ability to deliver proactive and personalised care which will risk worsening health outcomes and impact on the rest of the system."