NHS now faces a once in a generation challenge as staff continue to deliver for patients

Responding to the publication of the NHS monthly performance statistics Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“Despite all they have been through over a gruelling past two years NHS leaders and their staff continue to deliver for patients as these figures show.

“Against the odds and facing a daunting backlog that now sits at well over 6 million people waiting for elective treatment, NHS teams carried out 280,000 more diagnostics test in the first month of the year compared to the year before and checked 2.6 million people for cancer over the past year, over half a million more compared to 2021.

“However, these figures also serve to highlight the constant battle NHS leaders are facing, with 3 million staff off work in January they are constantly having to walk a tightrope to deliver patient care in the face of extraordinary demand all while juggling intense staffing shortages.

“Last week alone nearly 56,000 staff were absent on an average day, set against a backdrop of 110,000 total staff vacancies it is not hard to understand the pressure the service is facing.

“Despite this, and against the ever-present need for COVID vigilance, the NHS is committed to keeping up the pace and driving down the multiple backlogs created and exacerbated by this pandemic.

“Yet it’s fair to say it now faces a once in a generation challenge given the size of the care backlog, major pressure on emergency care services, staff shortages and widening health inequalities.

“For the NHS to fully recover from the pandemic, tackle its waiting lists and support its remaining staff, it needs the Government to provide adequate funding for a long-term and sustainable plan for workforce once and for all.”