Latest news with #NHSE
Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Health
- Leader Live
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Streeting also unveiled plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities.
North Wales Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Streeting also unveiled plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities.
Rhyl Journal
8 hours ago
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Streeting also unveiled plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities.
South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
NHS keeps public away as patients seen as ‘inconvenience', new boss says
In his first interview since his appointment as chief executive of NHSE, Sir Jim Mackey told the newspaper the health service has retained too many 'fossilised' ways of working, some of which have barely moved on since its creation in 1948. His statement comes as he prepares to implement a 10-year health plan to be published by the Government next week. Sir Jim, who was knighted in 2019 for services to healthcare, told The Telegraph: 'We've made it really hard, and we've probably all been on the end of it. 'You've got a relative in hospital, so you're ringing a number on a ward that no-one ever answers. 'The ward clerk only works nine to five or they're busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scramble every morning. 'It feels like we've built mechanisms to keep the public away because it's an inconvenience.' Sir Jim warned the disconnect between NHS services and the public could result in the loss of the public health service altogether. 'The big worry is, if we don't grab that, and we don't deal with it with pace, we'll lose the population,' he told the Telegraph. 'If we lose the population, we've lost the NHS. 'For me, it's straightforward. The two things are completely dependent on each other.' The Government's 10-year health plan will aim at improving NHS services through relocating patient care from hospitals to community-based health centres, a greater use of digital tools, and preventive care. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday the plan will also aim to 'address one of the starkest health inequalities', which he claims is the unequal access to information and choice when it comes to healthcare. Sir Jim told the Telegraph: 'We've got to somehow re-orientate it; think about how do we find people who need us, how do we stop thinking 'it's going to be a pain in the arse if you turn up because I'm quite busy' and instead think about how do we find out what you need and get it sorted.' Sir Jim added his concerns are driven by his own traumatic experience of NHS services, when his father died in a hospital locally known for its poor standards of care. He told the paper: 'My dad died in a hospital where the local folklore was terrible about the hospital, but the hospital was deaf to it and didn't know what was actually being said. 'I wasn't long into the NHS, it was a long time ago now, and I felt really powerless. 'I found out too late that the clinical community knew the guy who looked after him wasn't as good as I would have wanted him to be. 'I'll carry that for the rest of my life.' In an effort to take pressure off hospitals and cut down waiting lists, the Government previously announced that 85 new mental health emergency departments will be built across England. The 85 units will be funded by £120 million secured in the Spending Review, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they will be staffed by specialist nurses and doctors. Patients who need help will be able to walk in, or will be able to be referred by their GP. Under the new plans, mental health patients will also be able to self-refer for talking therapies using the NHS App The new measures could also pave the way for AI-driven virtual support, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Streeting also unveiled plans to divert more than £2 billion in NHS spending to working class communities.
Medscape
15-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
MPs Slam NHS Reforms and Soaring Negligence Payouts
Plans to abolish NHS England (NHSE) and merge its functions with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have created 'great uncertainty for all involved,' a parliamentary report has warned. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised concerns in its inquiry into the DHSC's 2023-2024 accounts. The report questioned the impact of the proposed changes, particularly the significant staff cuts involved and the effect on patient care. Streeting: Reform Will Cut Waste and Costs Health Secretary Wes Streeting defended the plans when he gave evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee in April. He said having 'two head offices' led to 'duplication, waste, inefficiency, contradiction, and the system being pulled in different directions'. Streeting said the combined size of NHSE and the DHSC would shrink by around 50%. Integrated care boards (ICBs) would be expected to cut running costs by half, with savings diverted to patient care. Committee: No Clear Plan The PAC said the government had failed to explain how 'this major structural and operational change' would affect key services and targets. Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP said in a press release that after 2 months, the government had yet to articulate 'a clear plan for what comes next'. The future for patients and staff 'remains hazy', he said. Key areas where the Government lacked clarity, according to the committee, included: How staff reductions would be achieved and costed. Where reductions would be made geographically. The scale of cuts to DHSC staff. How the plans align with the NHS's 10-year strategy. How savings would support frontline care. How institutional knowledge at NHSE would be retained. The report also criticised the DHSC for a lack of narrative in its accounts on social care, productivity, prevention, digital innovation, and end-of-life services. DHSC Accepts 'Serious Reform Needed' Asked to comment by Medscape News UK , a DHSC spokesperson said: 'Serious reform is needed to tackle the challenges facing the NHS.' Merging NHSE back into the department would eliminate wasteful duplication, free up money for frontline services, and 'keep patients safe by overhauling the overly complex bureaucracy of healthcare regulation and oversight'. Since the decision to abolish NHSE was taken, a joint board has been established, resources assessed, responsibilities mapped across affected organisations, and legislative planning begun. The spokesperson insisted that the current two-centre system 'frustrates staff' with 'too many checkers and not enough doers'. Health Security Programme Years Behind Schedule The PAC also flagged failings at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Its planned new high-containment labs had been 'poorly overseen', with the project at least 15 years behind schedule and costs ballooning from £530 million to an 'eye-watering' projected figure of £3.2 billion. So far, £400 million has been spent 'with little to show for it.' No final decision has been made about the site. The committee urged the UKHSA to set out how it will maintain lab capacity as current facilities reach the end of their lifespan. Clinical Negligence Payouts Reach £58 Billion The PAC also highlighted 'jaw-dropping' amounts being paid out on clinical negligence claims, with an 'astounding' £58.2 billion set aside for potential future claims. This is the second largest government liability after nuclear decommissioning, the report noted. Clifton-Brown said the figures 'should give our entire society pause'. He urged the government to prioritise reducing avoidable patient harm. Legal costs remain high, with £536 million – 19% of the £2.8 billion awarded to claimants in 2023-2024 – going to lawyers, on top of the fees charged by the government's legal team. The PAC called for a plan with 'clear actions to improve patient safety across the NHS, and in particular in maternity services'. Call for Bold Reform Dr Rob Hendry, chief member officer at the Medical Protection Society, said spiralling negligence costs divert vital resources from care and service improvements. 'The Public Accounts Committee is right to question whether such costs are sustainable for the NHS and whether such significant amounts of money should be spent on legal fees,' he told Medscape News UK . He noted that in lower value claims it was not unusual to see lawyers' costs exceed the compensation awarded to claimants. 'This is not right.' Hendry added that high costs also affect healthcare professionals not covered by a state-backed indemnity scheme – such as dentists and private practitioners – who bear the cost of protecting themselves against claims. He called for a balance between fair compensation and financial sustainability, urging the government to pursue bold reforms without delay.
