Ryan FowlerUNISON has called on the Government to prioritise staff pay and recruitment in its efforts to reduce NHS waiting lists and improve patient care.
The union’s response comes following the announcement of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new plan to tackle hospital backlogs, including measures to increase appointment availability and shorten treatment times.
Commenting on the Government’s approach, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Staff are the bedrock of the NHS and key to turning around its fortunes. Ministers know that all the extra appointments and other ways of increasing capacity won’t happen on their own.
“Health workers have been taken for granted for years by governments, and little they’ve heard from the prime minister on his plans will encourage them to feel differently.
“It’s not just the state of services and the quality of care that are making staff feel so low. Many are at breaking point as they’ve too few colleagues to get the job done and they keep seeing those they work with quit for pastures new.
“That’s why getting decisions right on pay, and recruiting and retaining skilled, experienced workers must be at the heart of any recovery plan for the NHS.
“Without proper investment in staff, there can be no world-class NHS, no improvements in patient care, reduction in the backlog or increased efficiency of services. Further delays in getting a grip on the social care crisis won’t help.
“Ministers should do the right thing and convene talks now with unions about April’s wage rise and fixing the problems with the NHS pay structure. A credible plan must also be agreed for growing the workforce needed to meet the public’s expectation of quality, timely care.”
Government outlines ambitious reforms to cut waiting lists
In announcing the government’s elective reform plan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer set a target to reduce waiting times, ensuring 65% of patients are treated within 18 weeks by the end of 2025. He said:
“This Government promised change and that is what I am fighting every day to deliver.
“NHS backlogs have ballooned in recent years, leaving millions of patients languishing on waiting lists, often in pain or fear. Lives on hold. Potential unfulfilled.
“This elective reform plan will deliver on our promise to end the backlogs. Millions more appointments. Greater choice and convenience for patients. Staff once again able to give the standard of care they desperately want to.”
Key measures in the reform plan
The plan includes expanding Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) and surgical hubs to create half a million more appointments annually. CDCs will operate extended hours, providing same-day tests and consultations, while 14 new surgical hubs are expected to be operational by June.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting added: “Our Plan for Change set an ambitious target to cut maximum wait times from 18 months to 18 weeks, and we will achieve it by bringing care closer to home and giving patients more choice over their treatment.
“The NHS should work around patients’ lives, not the other way around. By opening community diagnostic centres on high streets 12 hours a day, seven days a week, patients will now be able to arrange their tests and scans for when they go to do their weekend shopping.”
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard also highlighted the plan’s potential: “This ambitious blueprint will build on our progress and support hard-working NHS staff to deliver faster routine care for patients with the aim of treating nine in 10 within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.”
