NHS Confederation responds to report on scale and impact of poor NHS administration

Responding to the findings from the ‘Lost in the System; the need for better admin in the NHS’ report from The King’s Fund, National Voices and Healthwatch England, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said:

“The findings of this report paint a worrying picture of the scale of poor administration and the impact it can have on patients, who are often left feeling stressed and anxious when dealing with NHS health services. It is worrying that almost a third of patients have not been kept updated on how long they have to wait for treatment or care.

“Letters arriving after appointments and chasing test results are everyday issues that are affecting patients. Our members know that high quality administration and effective communication is a vital part of being able to provide seamless and timely care, which can impact both patient experience and reduce the burden of tasks on clinical staff. 

“Pressures on the NHS continue to impact patients with growing waiting lists, continued cuts to non-clinical roles and the burden to manage administration. But without an adequate administrative workforce there is a real risk that information on test results and actions go missing. Problems with poor communication and errors will persist until there’s investment in digital infrastructure, automation for administrative processes and robust communication systems.

“The government’s ten-year plan on reform of the NHS must address these issues in line with the three key shifts to improve digital infrastructure, provide care closer to home and focus on moving from treatment to prevention.”