Latest news with #NHSProviders
New Statesman
2 days ago
- Business
- New Statesman
Labour promised to fix the NHS but seems set on breaking it even more
Illustration by Charlotte Trounce When NHS Providers – the membership organisation that represents NHS trusts – starts using language like 'unthinkable', it's time to sit up and take note. They chose the term in early May to characterise the scale of the cuts being forced upon NHS managers by Wes Streeting's Department of Health and Social Care. Using evidence gathered from 114 trusts – more than half the total number in England – NHS Providers revealed the 'eye-watering' array of local services that face being scaled back or completely shut down: diabetes care for young people, rehabilitation centres, talking therapies, even – incredibly – palliative care beds. Meanwhile, nearly every trust surveyed said they were planning to cut – or had already begun cutting – up to 1,500 posts each to save money. Crucially, these include clinical roles such as doctors and nurses. How have we arrived at this brave new world in which the route to 'an NHS fit for the future… with world-class care for the many, not just the few' (Streeting at last year's party conference) is through slashing clinical services upon which the health, well-being and dignity of patients so manifestly depend? The role of Jim Mackey, Streeting's choice to lead the NHS in England, is key. In March, Mackey ordered trusts to comply with a 'financial reset' – code for unprecedented budget savings during 2025-26 to avoid a projected £6.6bn NHS deficit in England. The government, like its Conservative predecessors, insisted cuts required could occur harmlessly, through 'efficiency savings' alone. Needless to say, savings of up to 12 per cent of entire trusts' budgets cannot possibly be achieved without cutting services. Perhaps Mackey and Streeting hoped that so long as they had a target-driven story to tell the press about falling waiting lists, no one would care very much about the less headline-grabbing forms of NHS care such as rehabilitation after serious injuries or humane deathbed care. It is no coincidence that services for people with disabilities, mental health conditions and terminal illnesses are on the line; certain patients have long been deprioritised by those in power. As one anonymous finance director told NHS Providers: 'Health inequalities [are] a real issue when streamlining services. We need investment to reach the most vulnerable and excluded populations, not disinvestment.' What happens now? In a speech at the Medical Journalists' Association on 9 May, Mackey gave short shrift to the prospect of additional funding: the government, he said, was 'maxed out on what's affordable'. Meanwhile, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson doubled down on the fiction that reducing red tape could square the circle: 'We have underlined the need for trusts to cut bureaucracy to invest even further in the front line.' Easy for them to say. Less so for the doctor forced to have deathbed conversations with patients on trolleys in corridors (me, with increasing frequency these days). From a patient perspective, the impasse is painfully familiar. In his conference speech, Streeting rightly slammed 14 years of underinvestment as a legacy of 'Conservative neglect'. He explicitly stated, the day after the general election, that: 'The policy of this department is that the NHS is broken.' For NHS staff, this radical candour was more than a relief – it felt exhilarating. At last, it seemed, we had a health secretary willing to be honest about the scale of the task required to rebuild an NHS to be proud of. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Less than one year later, Streeting appears to be the first Labour health secretary willing to countenance the cutting back of end-of-life care on his watch. For me – a palliative care doctor who entered my specialty precisely to advocate for the patients that so many in power overlook – the only thing that's 'maxed out' right now is incredulity and disgust. Rachel Clarke's 'The Story of a Heart' has been shortlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Non-Fiction [See also: The public doesn't like Brexit. Has anyone told the media?] Related
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Spending on agency staff across NHS England drops by almost £1bn
Spending on agency staff across NHS England dropped by almost £1bn in the last financial year, ministers have said, after a pledge by Wes Streeting to cut the amount going to agencies by 30%. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the total spent by trusts on agency staff during 2024-25 was nearly £1bn lower than the previous year. In a speech to the NHS Providers conference in November, Streeting, the health secretary, said a lack of permanent staff had seen gaps filled by more expensive agency-provided replacements totalling about £3bn a year. Under proposals outlined at the time, but not yet enacted, Streeting suggested that NHS trusts could be completely banned from using agency staff for lower level jobs such as healthcare assistants and domestic support workers. This could also involve stopping NHS staff from resigning and then immediately signing on with an agency, so they can do the same work for higher wages, and a much higher overall cost to the NHS. In addition to employing agency staff, which can mean paying a doctor thousand of pounds for a single shift, NHS trusts also routinely plug gaps by using what are known as 'bank' staff – NHS employees who do extra shifts at their own workplace or one nearby, via an organisation usually run by the trust. UK-wide figures reported by the Guardian in January 2024 showed that the combined spend of hospitals and GP surgeries for agency staff was an annual £4.6bn, with another £5.8bn used for bank shifts. As part of the clampdown on agency spending, Streeting and James Mackey, the chief executive of the imminently abolished NHS England, have jointly written to all NHS providers and integrated care board executives to set out that each should target the 30% reduction, and that their progress will be monitored. 'If we do not feel that sufficient progress is being made by the autumn, we will consider what further legislative steps we should take to ensure that use of agency staff is brought to an end,' they wrote. The letter also says hospital bosses should make surethe pay rates for bank shifts 'are competitive but do not exceed those paid by agencies directly to the worker'. Trusts have already been ordered to reduce bank use by at least 10%. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Elizabeth O'Mahony, NHS England's chief financial officer, said: 'The NHS is fully committed to making sure that every penny of taxpayers' money is used wisely to the benefit of patients and the quality of care they receive. 'Our reforms towards driving down agency spend by nearly £1bn over the past year will boost frontline services and help to cut down waiting lists, while ensuring fairness for our permanent staff.'
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Crumbling hospitals and schools get cash injection as NHS chief warns of risks
More than 400 hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites will be able to fix leaky pipes, poor ventilation and electrical problems, along with 656 schools and sixth forms Hospitals and schools will get a £1.2billion funding boost to fix crumbling buildings left to decay after years of Tory neglect. More than 400 hospitals, mental health units and ambulance sites will be able to fix leaky pipes, poor ventilation and electrical problems from a £750 million pot. Fixing the maintenance backlog at NHS hospitals can help prevent procedures being cancelled, with services disrupted over 4,000 times in 2023/24 due to building issues, according to the Department of Health. Meanwhile, some 656 schools and sixth forms will benefit from £470million to help fix crumbling roofs and remove dangerous asbestos. The announcement was welcomed by school and NHS leaders - but triggered warnings that it was a "small down payment" on the true cost of vital repairs. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'A decade and a half of underinvestment left hospitals crumbling, with burst pipes flooding emergency departments, faulty electrical systems shutting down operating theatres, and mothers giving birth in outdated facilities that lack basic dignity. We are on a mission to rebuild our NHS through investment and modernisation. 'Patients and staff deserve to be in buildings that are safe, comfortable and fit for purpose. Through our Plan for Change, we will make our NHS fit for the future.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'The defining image of the school estate under the previous government was children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn't good enough. Parents expect their children to learn in a safe, warm environment. It's what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.' The first upgrades are expected to begin this summer, with projects to be delivered by the end of the 2025/26 financial year. NHS leaders said the repair backlog in the health service was closer to £14billion and warned the safety of patients and staff was at risk. Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: "An eye-watering near £14billion is needed just to patch up buildings and equipment which are in a very bad way right across hospital, mental health, community health and ambulance services. "Mental health services alone have a £1billion-plus backlog. Vital bits of the NHS are literally falling apart after years of underinvestment nationally." He urged the Government to shake up its rules on capital investment in next month's spending review to tackle the logjam in essential repairs. 'Safety of patients and staff is at risk," he added. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the cash should help to boost NHS productivity and cut waiting times for elective care. He added: "However, £750million is a small down payment on the £14billion maintenance backlog that remains. At £750million a year, it would take almost 20 years to clear the backlog, assuming it does not continue to grow." Teaching unions also warned the funding risked "papering over the cracks" of the £13.8billion maintenance backlog in schools. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'School leaders frequently tell us of the unacceptable building conditions with which pupils and staff are having to contend - from RAAC [Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete] to leaking roofs, draughty portable cabins and school dinners being served in corridors." He said the funding was welcome but much more government investment and a long-term plan was needed to restore the school estate. Julia Harnden, funding specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'While we welcome any money spent on school buildings, what the government is announcing is simply the annual round of allocations for urgent repairs and maintenance following bids from schools and sixth form colleges in England. 'The wider problem is that there is a massive £13.8 billion maintenance backlog across the school estate and we are still nowhere near the level of investment needed to address this. "The fact that schools and sixth form colleges have to bid for funding for urgent repairs and maintenance is in itself a sign of the inadequacy of overall investment and is effectively an annual exercise in papering over the cracks.'
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
NHS bosses told to reduce wait times or face pay cuts
NHS bosses face pay cuts of up to £15,000 for failing to meet waiting time reduction targets, while high-performing bosses could receive bonuses of up to 10 per cent. Those who relocate to struggling areas could receive bonuses up to £45,000. Health Secretary Wes Streeting believes these "carrot and stick" reforms will improve NHS productivity and patient care. The Royal College of Nursing criticised the potential for bonuses exceeding nurses' annual salaries, while NHS Providers expressed concern about potential unintended consequences of withholding pay rises. NHS England chief executive supports linking pay to performance, citing its prevalence in other sectors.
North Wales Chronicle
15-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Bonuses and pay rises for NHS chiefs ‘reward not a right', says Streeting
Meanwhile, failing chiefs could have their salaries docked by up to £15,000. The so-called 'carrot and stick reforms' will aim to reward leaders slashing waiting times and improving services for patients. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said bonuses and pay rises will be a 'reward and not a right'. Under the measures, bonuses of up to 10% will be on offer for top performers, with vacancies in poor performing areas coming with a temporary uplift of 15%, worth up to £45,000. Pay bands for senior managers will also be overhauled to attract and retain staff. Chief executives that fail to deliver improvements or rack up debt could also have up to £15,000 docked from their pay packet. The figure is based on last year's 5% pay rise and the highest current salary of a trust chief executive under the new framework, which is £299,250. Mr Streeting said: 'Some of the best businesses and most effective organisations across Britain and the world reward their top talent so they can keep on delivering. 'There's no reason why we shouldn't do the same in our NHS. 'We will reward leaders who are cutting waiting times and making sure patients get better services. 'But bonuses and pay rises will be a reward and not a right – because I'm determined that every penny we invest through our Plan for Change is money well spent. 'Our carrot and stick reforms will boost productivity, tackle underperformance and drive up standards for patients.' NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said linking pay to operational performance happens in 'almost every other sector' and should also happen in the health service. 'If we are to consistently reach the standards of care the public rightly expect, it is clear that we need to reward those who are delivering for patients,' he said. 'An important element of driving improvements must be strengthening the link between pay and operational performance at a very senior level – this happens in almost every other sector and there is no reason for the NHS to shy away from it, particularly when we rely on money that comes directly from taxpayers' pockets. 'We will be working together with local leaders to improve transparency and ensure progress is recognised, while offering sufficient flexibility to attract talented candidates to the most challenging roles and organisations.' The plans come after Mr Streeting pledged to sack failing NHS managers, telling trust leaders in November that there 'will be no more rewards for failure'. Isabel Lawicka, director of policy and strategy, NHS Providers, said pay is an 'important enabler' for the NHS to 'attract and retain talented leaders'. However, she warned there is a risk that withholding pay rises 'could lead to unintended consequences'. 'As ever, the devil will be in the detail. Today's announcement raises a number of questions including how these complex new pay arrangements will be implemented, the decision to link financial turnover to pay and the crucial role of trust boards in this process,' Ms Lawicka said. Patricia Marquis, executive director for the Royal College of Nursing England, added: 'Attracting talent to the NHS is important, but no NHS boss could succeed without us. We are the largest workforce in the health service and deliver the vast majority of care for patients. 'Talk of bonuses for hospital chiefs higher than a nurse's annual salary will leave a sour taste in the mouths of nursing staff. We are still waiting for a pay award that should have arrived six weeks ago. 'Bonuses for the top while cutting nurse numbers is reckless and offensive. This culture was bad for finance and it is not the answer for the NHS.'
