NHS Confederation responds to Health Secretary’s ask to NHS leaders to prioritise patient safety this winter

Responding to the Health and Social Care Secretary appealing to NHS leaders to prioritise patient safety as the health service battles record pressures heading into winter, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“It is very welcome that the Secretary of State has made it clear what his priorities are this winter. We have been highlighting the need to prioritise urgent and emergency care to manage winter pressures, so it is good the message has been heard and accepted. But the government must be clear with the public about what the consequences of this decision are – performance targets will be missed and some patients will be left waiting longer for care.

“This winter is already expected to be incredibly tough. A&E, ambulance and GP demand are at record levels, flu and ambulance handover delays are worse than last year, and staff sickness is already high. Prioritising patient safety across the urgent and emergency care pathway is likely to result in elective operations being delayed or cancelled, so waiting lists could rise as a result.

“NHS leaders and their teams work incredibly hard day-in and day-out to keep patients safe – it is a critical priority for the service and providing care is often the paramount reason people have for working for the NHS.”