Responding to the King’s Fund report, ‘Understanding NHS financial Pressures - How are they affecting patient care?’, Professor Derek Bell, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said:
“While the report only focuses on four specific parts of the system - genito-urinary medicine (GUM) services, district nursing services, elective hip replacement services and neonatal services – it relects many of the issues that are apparent across the whole NHS system and the variations that exist across different parts of the country.
“The report is further recognition of the immense financial pressures faced by the NHS and the impact these are having on patient care, both directly and indirectly.
“Worryingly, the report highlights areas where financial constraints are having an impact but in areas which are difficult to monitor with current metrics. This can lead to a reduction in the quality of care provided beyond the core services.
“Again we see that committed staff are bearing the brunt of the impact, but continue to work tirelessly to keep the NHS functioning and deliver safe patient care.
“This College reiterates its call for the Government to set up a working group involving the Royal Colleges, healthcare practitioners, patients, the public, and politicians as a matter of urgency to find solutions to alleviate the pressures faced across the NHS, including in community-based services.
“Only through good planning and the recruitment and retention of high quality professional staff can we continue to deliver the best quality care safely.”
Contact: Lisa Rooke l.rooke@rcpe.ac.uk (link sends e-mail) 0131 247 3688
