Recommendation 10

Between 2010 and 2019 the NHS saw an average annual growth in emergency admissions of more than 3% and in urgent cancer referrals from GPs of more than 10%. Although there was relatively strong growth in the number of consultants (over 3% per year) during that period, there was almost no change in nurse numbers and a reduction of 1.1% per year in the number of general and acute beds available for overnight use.23 We examined the additional capacity the NHS would require to deliver reductions in waiting lists. NHSE&I told us that additional health workers were needed across the NHS and in multiple roles. It explained that a medium-term approach was needed as time was required to recruit and train people and to get them paired with up-to-date diagnostic and other infrastructure, and that it would be two to three years before there was any material increase in NHS capacity. This increase of capacity is a prerequisite for reducing waiting lists.24