Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
2
Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
Notwithstanding the actions taken to date, we recommend that NHS England & Improvement review, as a matter of priority, the directions given to NHS Trusts about how to communicate with patients about the progress of their treatment and important medical guidance in any future spike or second wave. As part …
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Notwithstanding the actions taken to date, we recommend that NHS England & Improvement review, as a matter of priority, the directions given to NHS Trusts about how to communicate with patients about the progress of their treatment and important medical guidance in any future spike or second wave. As part of this review, NHSE/I must ensure that patients are always treated with dignity and compassion. We ask that as part of that review, NHSE/I makes an assessment of its and hospitals’ communication with patients—and provide us with an update by the end of October 2020. We also ask, as part of this review, that NHSE/I address how they will communicate to the general population to ensure that the public gets the message that the NHS is open, and that those who have fears of catching COVID-19 in medical settings are not discouraged from accessing medical treatment. (Paragraph 22) Waiting times and managing the backlog of appointments
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Government response AI summary
The government recognizes the importance of effective communication and dignity, stating that existing NHS Standard Contracts mandate this and NHSE/I will reinforce these requirements. It notes ongoing work with patient groups to develop resources, but does not explicitly commit to the recommended priority review, assessment, …
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Department of Health and Social Care
3
Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of core NHS and care services. This has resulted in the delay, suspension or cancellation of services which in turn has inevitably led to a significant increase in waiting times, the backlog of appointments and pent-up demand for medical treatments. …
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The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of core NHS and care services. This has resulted in the delay, suspension or cancellation of services which in turn has inevitably led to a significant increase in waiting times, the backlog of appointments and pent-up demand for medical treatments. We are concerned that this has, in part, been created as a result of many individuals being too scared to access the medical treatment they require because they are uncertain as to whether NHS services are safe to use.
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Government response AI summary
The government recognizes the pandemic's burden and the committee's concern, stating that NHSE/I has already launched campaigns to reassure patients that NHS services are safe to access, detailing steps like social distancing and face masks.
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Department of Health and Social Care
5
Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
During our session on 30 June 2020, Sir Simon Stevens told us that he “expects” waiting times for and referrals to core health services to “go up quite significantly over the second half of the year.” We also heard from Sir Simon, Amanda Pritchard and Professor Steve Powis of the …
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During our session on 30 June 2020, Sir Simon Stevens told us that he “expects” waiting times for and referrals to core health services to “go up quite significantly over the second half of the year.” We also heard from Sir Simon, Amanda Pritchard and Professor Steve Powis of the importance of restoring core services for patients. It nevertheless remains unclear to us what practical steps the Government and NHSE/I are taking and are planning to take to reduce waiting times, meet the backlog of appointments and prepare the NHS for addressing pent-up demand. The absence of a public plan to address these issues may be contributing to the inability of local trusts to inform patients when they can expect to receive a long-awaited medical procedure. Nevertheless, we do also recognise the significant difficulty in planning ahead when the risk of a second spike remains unclear.
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Government response AI summary
The government provides details on measures to address the backlog, including increasing elective activity via 'phase 3' guidance and allocating £1bn from the 2021/22 Spending Review to tackle the elective backlog and fund up to one million extra procedures.
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Department of Health and Social Care
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
We recommend that the Department of Health & Social Care and NHSE/I provide an update on what steps they have, individually and collectively, taken and are planning to take to quantify and address the overall impact of the pandemic on waiting times, the backlog of appointments and pent-up, and as …
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We recommend that the Department of Health & Social Care and NHSE/I provide an update on what steps they have, individually and collectively, taken and are planning to take to quantify and address the overall impact of the pandemic on waiting times, the backlog of appointments and pent-up, and as yet unknown and unmet patient demand for all health services, specifically across cancer treatments, mental health services, dentistry services, GP services and elective surgery. We also ask the Department and NHSE/I to provide a comprehensive update on what steps are being taken and what steps will be taken in the future to manage the overall level of demand across health services. We request this information by the end of October 2020.
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Government response AI summary
The government provides a detailed update on waiting times for elective care and cancer treatments, detailing recovery efforts, and outlines specific steps to manage demand, including a new £150 million fund for GP capacity expansion and adaptations for remote care.
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Department of Health and Social Care
7
Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
We also recommend that NHSE/I provides us with a more broader update on what positive innovations or changes have taken place in the NHS during the pandemic, and how it seeks to ensure all the positive changes that have occurred are captured and potentially implemented across the entire NHS. We …
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We also recommend that NHSE/I provides us with a more broader update on what positive innovations or changes have taken place in the NHS during the pandemic, and how it seeks to ensure all the positive changes that have occurred are captured and potentially implemented across the entire NHS. We expect this information by the end of 2020.
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Government response AI summary
The government outlines its "Adopt & Adapt" approach, including hub working models and £1bn funding for elective recovery in 2021/22, to support positive changes and tackle the elective backlog.
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Department of Health and Social Care
10
Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
We recognise the unprecedented scale of the challenge facing the Government and NHSE/I to keep NHS and care staff safe during the pandemic. As in other countries facing the pandemic there were, however, persistent failures with the procurement and supply of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to some NHS and …
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We recognise the unprecedented scale of the challenge facing the Government and NHSE/I to keep NHS and care staff safe during the pandemic. As in other countries facing the pandemic there were, however, persistent failures with the procurement and supply of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to some NHS and care staff, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic. It is important to recognise that different staff will require different types of PPE and there is a need to make sure that the PPE available is suitable for a diverse work force. We welcome the appointment of Lord Deighton as adviser on PPE to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Lord Deighton’s evidence gave us confidence that the issues relating to PPE which have been raised with us will be prioritised and addressed.
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Government response AI summary
The government expresses confidence in a consistent PPE supply for winter, detailing substantial items on order and a strategic stockpile, and reiterates its commitment to addressing practical difficulties and incorporating user feedback, implying ongoing efforts address the concerns.
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Department of Health and Social Care
18
Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
We are extremely grateful to all NHS and care staff for their hard work and dedication in trying to meet patient needs in such exceptional circumstances. This includes those who have returned to the NHS (such as clinicians returning from academia, retirement and other industries); students who have left their …
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We are extremely grateful to all NHS and care staff for their hard work and dedication in trying to meet patient needs in such exceptional circumstances. This includes those who have returned to the NHS (such as clinicians returning from academia, retirement and other industries); students who have left their training early to do so, and staff that have been redeployed to manage capacity constraints in other areas of the NHS. We share concerns that some NHS and care staff are suffering from fatigue, exhaustion and a general feeling of being “burnt out” and that the wellbeing of staff (particularly their mental health) is at significant risk.
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Government response AI summary
The government responds by highlighting the NHS People Plan 2020/21, which emphasizes staff wellbeing, mental health, and addressing inequalities, stating that these existing commitments align with the committee's concerns about staff burnout.
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Department of Health and Social Care
26
Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
Historically, accident and emergency departments have been over-stretched, over- burdened and running over capacity. We have heard that the initial decline in patient attendances at A&E departments during the pandemic to some extent “cured” the problem of “corridor care”. However, as presentations at A&E begin to increase, the Government and …
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Historically, accident and emergency departments have been over-stretched, over- burdened and running over capacity. We have heard that the initial decline in patient attendances at A&E departments during the pandemic to some extent “cured” the problem of “corridor care”. However, as presentations at A&E begin to increase, the Government and NHSE/I need to ensure emergency departments do not become overwhelmed by patient demand and remain able to provide high-quality and safe treatment for all patients.
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Government response AI summary
The government recognises the importance of managing A&E demand and states that NHSE/I has been working with NHS Trusts on plans including increasing capacity, improving patient flow, and reducing unnecessary admissions.
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Department of Health and Social Care
29
Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and…
Accepted
We recommend that NHSE/I and the Department for Health & Social Care set out their assessment of how effective the use of technology and digital alternatives (“telemedicine”) has been across all health and care services. As part of this assessment, we ask that both NHSE/I and the Department to clearly …
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We recommend that NHSE/I and the Department for Health & Social Care set out their assessment of how effective the use of technology and digital alternatives (“telemedicine”) has been across all health and care services. As part of this assessment, we ask that both NHSE/I and the Department to clearly set out how they plan to ensure patients’ wellbeing is not jeopardised by the risk of being digitally excluded from accessing medical treatment and advice. We also ask that NHSE/I and the Department set out what aspects of telemedicine have worked well, including which new models of service delivery have worked particularly well, and what plans there are 68 Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond (if any) to invest in and support the further use of such technology and new pathways in the health and care system. We request an update on these matters by the end of
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Government response AI summary
The government states that NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently undertaking a review to assess the effectiveness of telemedicine and identify risks to patient wellbeing, including how to ensure patients are not digitally excluded.
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Department of Health and Social Care