Roger writes to the new Secretary of State for health and social care, Matt Hancock, to question him about the future of the NHS.
Posted on
The pressures on health and social care providers have been mounting after eight years of Conservative funding cuts. Roger wrote to the Minister to ask how he intends to tackle some of these challenges, including: the lack of funding for social care, poor or delayed access to mental health treatment for the most vulnerable, and the increasing privatisation of health care services.
Roger said: “The rising demand for NHS services, fuelled by an aging population, have left many health workers feeling overwhelmed. This undeniable rise in demand has been met with insufficient resources. Patients face long waiting hours, a lack of beds and issues with arranging adequate social care, which leaves them reliant on the health care service. NHS staff often endure unreasonable stress and frustration as they feel their concerns are being ignored.” The UK is struggling to recruit sufficient healthcare workers, and is heavily reliant on overseas staff.
The Royal College of Physicians has raised its concerns about staff shortages, reporting that 56% of advertised consultant posts in the West Midlands were not appointed to. Roger is concerned about the impact of the Government’s unwillingness to provide sufficient funding to train and recruit enough doctors, nurses and other health care professionals in the UK. He is calling on the Government to invest into the future of the health service, and to properly fund the training of healthcare workers, as well as ensure that social care staff receive the living wage.
