Happy New Year? The pressures on the NHS will only increase in 2016

Happy New Year? The pressures on the NHS will only increase in 2016 If the health service is to survive, it needs to be properly funded, adequately staffed, and with patients and clinicians in charge

As we look ahead to 2016 it is clear that the pressures on the NHS will, if anything, increase unless the government takes urgent action. Jeremy Hunt’s manifesto pledge of more GPs is a complete fantasy and the prime minister’s seven-day NHS project is a political gimmick. The government has made empty promise after empty promise about how it plans to recruit an additional 5,000 GPs by 2020, yet it doesn’t face up to the reality that there aren’t enough entering the profession. A BMA survey showing that a third of GPs plan to retire within five years suggests the problem is only going to get worse.

It is not just primary care that faces an uphill struggle in 2016. In England, there are NHS trusts facing a record deficit of £1.6bn, which will manifest itself in longer waits for patients, cancelled operations and more pressure on staff and resources. Continue reading... The Guardian