22.06.17
Government ‘sticking its head in the sand’ as NHS snubbed in Queen’s Speech
Health organisations have this week reacted in dismay as the Queen’s Speech at the opening of Parliament failed to acknowledge the growing crisis facing the NHS.
Though mental health did get a mention in the speech, nothing was said about a number of major problems in the health sector, including the 1% pay cap, increasing austerity measures and ongoing issues with doctor recruitment and retention.
And now NHS workers have voiced their concern that warning signs are not being listened to by the government.
“There is a crisis unfolding in our NHS and there was simply no acknowledgement of this,” said Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair. “Services are at breaking point, yet the government has chosen to stick its head in the sand, ducking the big issues undermining the delivery of care.
“Doctors prioritise patient safety, but the government’s choice to provide less funding than the health service needs is compromising safe staffing levels.”
Dr Porter also called on the government to act to fill the many unfilled vacancies facing the NHS workforce and stop the “vicious cycle” that prevents junior doctors from wanting to continue with medicine.
Royal College of Physicians president, Professor Jane Dacre, said it was “concerning” that the government had not used the speech as an opportunity to address the wider issues facing healthcare, including the regulation of new health professionals.
“NHS staff must be supported to deliver the best possible care for patients,” she added. “Patient safety is paramount, and we encourage the government to work closely with all those in the medical community to develop the best framework possible for the draft Patient Safety Bill.”
Prof Dacre stated that getting a good deal for the UK in Brexit talks was a top priority for patients and staff in the NHS. “We reiterate that the process of exiting the EU cannot be allowed to risk patient safety or the quality of care,” she concluded.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also called for a “new tone” from the government that made staff feel valued, as once again the government made no mention to getting rid of the 1% pay cap, although this was a measure that Jeremy Hunt hinted at last week.
“Hospitals and community services are already short of the nursing staff needed to provide safe care,” the RCN’s chief executive Janet Davies said. “They are being driven out by poor pay and unprecedented strain. Health and care services must fast become a priority for this government.”
Support for mental health measures
However, promises to reform mental health legislation and ensure it becomes a priority for the government was welcomed by a number of key organisations.
Sean Duggan, chief executive of NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, said: “We welcome the government’s commitment to prioritising mental health and the planned reform of mental health legislation which is much needed.
“The Mental Health Act has played an important role in supporting people who have reached the point of crisis, but it is nearly 35 years old and clearly needs refreshing.
Duggan added it would have been a “mistake” to scrap the act and start from scratch without undertaking a full review first.
“We support the proposal for reform and in particular identifying why the number of detentions under the act have risen by around 10% year-on-year since 2010-11,” he explained.
Mental health charity Mind also voiced its support for the measures, arguing that it was time the outdated and old-fashioned legislation was reformed.
“Changing the Mental Health Act is a mammoth task and needs to be done properly, in full consultation with people with lived experience and in line with the recommendations of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health,” noted Paul Farmer, Mind’s CEO.
“People who are at their most unwell need choice, control and dignity and they need legislation to support that.”
But the BMA’s Dr Porter was critical of the measures raised for mental health, as he stated that mental health services were in desperate need of funding, and that any amount of reform would not hide this.
“Many patients have to travel hundreds of miles for treatment, when they would be better treated nearer home; many do not have any access to outpatient talking treatments for common mental illness such as depression or have to wait a year or more; others have tragically taken their own lives before receiving treatment,” he argued.
“The NHS has let these patients down,” Dr Porter concluded. “Until the government guarantees extra funding, the measures outlined in this speech will not have the necessary impact.”