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Health and care sector latest developments

Latest developments affecting the health and care sector.

27 March 2024

Satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to a historic low

Public satisfaction with the NHS has dropped to the lowest level on record according to the latest survey published by the British Social Attitudes survey (sponsored by the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust). Just 24 per cent said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2023, with waiting times and staff shortages among the biggest concerns.

The study, of 3,374 people in England, Wales and Scotland, is seen as the gold-standard test of how people feel about the NHS. Satisfaction with the NHS peaked in 2010, when 70 per cent of people were satisfied with the health service. And since 2020, satisfaction has fallen by 29 percentage points. Findings from the poll showed: 

  • 52 per cent of people were dissatisfied with the NHS, the highest proportion since the survey began.
  • The main reasons for dissatisfaction are waiting times for GP and hospital appointments (71 per cent), followed by staff shortages (54 per cent) and the Government not spending enough money on the NHS (47 per cent).
  • In a marked change, Conservative supporters reported only marginally higher levels of satisfaction with the NHS than Labour supporters in 2023 (29 per cent versus 24 per cent). Levels of dissatisfaction were similar across supporters of both parties.
  • The survey found that 34 per cent of people were satisfied with GP services in 2023, the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began. Some 41% were dissatisfied. Since 2019, satisfaction with GP services has fallen by 34 percentage points.
  • Dentistry had a record low satisfaction level of 24 per cent and a record high dissatisfaction of 48 per cent.
  • When asked what the most important priorities for the NHS should be, the top two were making it easier to get a GP appointment (52 per cent) and increasing the number of staff in the NHS (51 per cent). Improving waiting times for planned operations and in A&E were chosen by 47 per cent and 45 per cent of people respectively.
  • Public satisfaction with social care has fallen to 13 per cent, the lowest level since the survey began.

Half of the people surveyed sup­ported raising taxes and spending more on the NHS, suggesting the state of the health service will be a key issue for voters at the general election.

Director of the NHS Confederation's Acute Network Rory Deighton responded to the report stating:

“While these stark findings make difficult but unsurprising reading, they should not take away from all the incredibly hard work of NHS staff caring for patients in the face of a pandemic, industrial action, staffing shortages and a flat revenue settlement in the Spring Budget.

“The fact that a large majority of respondents feel the NHS has a major or severe funding problem shows that the public recognises the challenges that the NHS faces.  

“Despite satisfaction with the NHS dropping to a new low the British public still ultimately believe in what the NHS does and what it stands, with nearly half of people surveyed saying they support the government increasing taxes and spending more on the NHS. This should be food for thought to politicians ahead of an election.

“We are also hopeful that the recent drop in people on waiting lists could lead to public satisfaction increasing, but our members are under no illusions that the road to recovering services will be a long and hard one in the present climate.

“In order to meet the challenges the NHS needs the right support and resources from government. That is why we are calling on the next government to put in place a 12-month stabilisation plan, boost capital funding to repair dilapidated buildings and invest in new equipment, and to commit to delivering and fully funding the workforce plan while drawing up an equivalent one for social care.”

Rory Deighton also spoke on BBC Breakfast and LBC, and will be talking to Times Radio later today.

NHS missing out on tens of millions in procurement savings, PAC report warns

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has claimed the NHS is missing tens of millions of pounds of savings as the NHS Supply Chain – created to save money through pooling hospitals’ purchasing power – has failed to persuade trusts to use it, with the organisation only achieving around 57 per cent of market share against a target of 62 per cent. 
 
The report also questions the level of savings NHS Supply Chain reports it has made for the NHS. The PAC’s confidence in savings claimed by NHS Supply Chain is further undermined by the fact that the cumulative £3.3 billion claimed has not been validated by either the government or NHS England, with the organisation effectively marking its own homework.

Responding to the findings, chair of the Committee Dame Meg Hillier said: “Our report finds that trusts do not have the requisite confidence in NHS Supply Chain to utilise its services, leaving it at risk of being an answer to a question no-one is asking.”

Mental illness costs England £300 billion a year, study shows 

Researchers for the Centre for Mental Health think tank have found that mental illness costs England £300 billion a year. The report finds that the £300 billion cost in 2022 equates to nearly double the NHS’s entire £153 billion budget in England in the same year and is a “comparable impact, economically, to having a pandemic every year.”

Sean Duggan OBE, said: “This detailed financial analysis lays bare the cost of mental ill health to the nation. With the overall cost double the cost of the NHS’s entire annual budget, this simply cannot be ignored by policy makers. The false economy of failing to invest in mental health is making the country poorer and causing unspoken anguish to so many people and their loved ones. It is vital that we now invest in effective interventions that bring us closer to a mentally healthier nation for all.”

Ombudsman urges the government action to prevent avoidable harm of people with eating disorders 

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has written to the minister for mental health, Maria Caulfield MP, outlining his concerns over the lack of progress in eating disorder services which is causing avoidable harm.

Rob Behrens’ letter highlights issues like a lack of funding, difficulties in accessing primary care, and palliative care being offered to patients deemed too difficult to treat.

The Ombudsman called on the government to prioritise eating disorder services and ensure there is parity of access and quality of eating disorder services for all age groups across the country.

NHS England agrees new A&E target

Trusts will be told to hit the four-hour A&E target in 78 per cent of cases by next year after NHS England finally made an agreement with government, HSJ understands.

The new target is just two percentage points higher than the target set for the current year of 76 per cent – and must be hit in March 2025, according to NHS planning guidance expected to be published later today.

NHS England will also aim to maintain 'core' general and acute beds at 99,000 on average across 2024/25 after funding was agreed with the government. This would maintain the beds at levels seen over recent months, but it would be a significant increase in the permanent “sustainable” beds available in the health service compared with previous years.

The additional capacity is intended to help improve four-hour performance.

Kim Leadbeater appointed PPS to the shadow health team

Yesterday evening the Labour party confirmed a number of changes to the party’s frontbench team. As part of the changes, Kim Leadbeater has moved from the Whips' Office and appointed PPS to the shadow health team.

NI health minister invests £9 million in dental access 

NI health minister Robin Swann today announced a £9.2 million investment in dental access initiatives over the next two years.

The investment aims to boost support for dental practices and protect public access to dental care.

Alongside this, Swann confirmed a 6 per cent pay uplift for dentists for the current financial year. 

Hackers obtain patient data from NHS Dumfries and Galloway 

After suffering a cyber-attack, NHS Dumfries and Galloway has said that a hacking group is in possession of at least a "small number” of patients’ data.

The group – Inc Ransom – posted on its darknet blog on Wednesday that it was in possession of three terabytes of data from NHS Scotland and included excerpts as proof.

Chief executive of the NHS board, Jeff Ace said: “We are continuing to work with Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Scottish government and other agencies in response to this developing situation.”

AI “risks up to eight million UK job losses with low-skilled worst hit” 

Up to eight million UK jobs are at risk from the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank warning that low-skilled workers would be worst affected. The IPPR has said a policy framework must be created so people do not suffer and the country can benefit from generative AI tech.