Health

Report highlights growing waiting lists and capacity issues in the NHS in Wales

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2022

THE AUDITOR GENERAL FOR WALES has this week published a report setting out the findings from their high-level review of how NHS Wales is tackling the backlog of patients waiting for planned care.

Although the report takes a top-level view of NHS services and doesn’t look specifically at the impact on children and young people, it illustrates the challenge for health services in which paediatric services are embedded and identifies system-wide challenges that will have to be met if the Welsh Government is to deliver the commitment to prioritise children made in its recent plan for transforming planned care and reducing waiting lists.

Dr David Tuthill, RCPCH Officer for Wales said: “This report makes clear once again that health services are under huge pressure. It highlights growing waiting lists and big capacity issues within the NHS.

“We welcomed the Welsh Government’s recent plan for transforming planned care and reducing waiting lists and in particular we were pleased to see that plan identify children and young people as a priority; and commit to tackling health inequalities as one of the plan’s central planks. However, we do need to see further detail about how those commitments will be realised, along with a proper strategy to set out how the necessary workforce will be delivered.

“The Auditor General’s overall assessment reinforces these points. It calls for the Welsh Government plan to be backed up with a proper delivery framework with more detail and milestones to measure progress. The report also says that to deliver its commitments, the Welsh Government will need to have a workforce plan based on a robust assessment of current capacity gaps and realistic proposals for addressing them.

“It’s also worrying that the Auditor General reports that the NHS in Wales has found it difficult to spend some of the extra funding made available recently and estimate that that of an extra £200m available by the Welsh Government to support recovery in 2021/22, £12.77m will be returned. RCPCH members have expressed concern as to whether new funding will be allocated to paediatric services so it’s vital that delivery plans and funding plans consider how to ensure that funding reaches those priority areas identified by the Welsh Government, including child health and paediatric services – and tackling health inequalities.”

Commenting, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Health Minister Russell George MS said: “This report will not fill the people of Wales with the confidence they need that their taxes are delivering positive health outcomes and that they have a well-functioning health service.

“No one blames the hard-working doctors and nurses but the poor lack of planning from the Labour Government that occupy their time prioritising more politicians in Cardiff Bay than resolving the cataclysmic state of NHS waiting lists and the increased cost-of-living.

“It was a Labour health minister that said it would be foolish to have an NHS recovery plan before the end of the pandemic. This attitude has clearly been crucial in leading 1-in-5 people to be on an NHS waiting list, with 70,000 of them languishing in pain for over two years.

“Hopefully, this report is a wake-up call for the Labour Government to get a move on and show some leadership instead of leaving health boards to do all the heavy lifting. Labour need to get a grip on the NHS and stop breaking all the wrong records.”

Also responding to the Auditor General’s report on the Planned Care Backlog in Wales, Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “This report makes clear the enormous scale of the challenge ahead and we welcome the Auditor General’s recommendations. NHS leaders are all too aware that these are not just statistics, but individual people’s lives and experiences.

“The NHS has been through and continues to go through the most challenging period in its history. The effects of the pandemic won’t go away overnight and, despite leaders and staff doing all they can to deliver services for the people of Wales, it will take many years to reach a healthier position.

“The Welsh NHS Confederation has long called for a clear and sustainable long term funding strategy for health and social care. One-off, ring-fenced injections of cash that are time-limited do not allow the NHS to make the necessary long-term investments in staff and capital required to meet the needs of the people of Wales. Many NHS estates are not fit for purpose, requiring redesign and new equipment, which has major implications on the physical capacity of the NHS and its ability to make inroads in planned care backlogs.

“However, workforce is the number one limiting factor for NHS capacity. Without enough staff, the NHS is left with no option other than to think more creatively about how they deliver services. As the report points out, there is very limited private capacity to assist with tackling the planned care backlog.

“Recruiting and, as importantly, retaining exhausted staff, is a huge focus for NHS leaders. Improving wellbeing support for staff, upskilling and creating opportunities for more flexible working are all on the agenda, as are large scale recruitment strategies including international recruitment and widening access to careers in the NHS through programmes such as Kickstart.

“But these programmes and initiatives take time to have a tangible impact and we need to see things improve now to try to meet public expectation.

“Another key factor contributing to current pressures, alongside extremely high levels of demand, is the challenges facing social care. The sector is facing arguably more difficult workforce challenges than the NHS which is only being exacerbated by the tight labour market and the cost-of-living crisis. Without long term sustainable funding and impactful solutions in social care, the NHS will continue to experience problems discharging patients from hospital, hindering the NHS’ ability to address the planned care backlog.”

Health

Doctors to enter pay negotiations with the Welsh Government

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Richard Lewis

BMA CYMRU Wales has suspended forthcoming industrial action for Consultants and SAS doctors following a constructive meeting with the Welsh government to resolve its pay disputes.

As a result of sustained pressure, including three rounds of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, the Welsh Government has made a significant proposal to form the basis of talks to end the pay disputes with all secondary care doctors including Consultants, SAS and Junior doctors.

Since the meeting last week, the committees representing doctors from all three branches of practice have voted to enter pay negotiations based on this proposal.

The planned 48-hour strike by Consultants and SAS doctors due to take place from 16 April will now be suspended.

Junior doctors have paused plans to announce more strike dates whilst they enter negotiations with the Welsh Government.

The Welsh junior doctors committee, Welsh SAS committee and Welsh consultants committee will now each engage in pay negotiations, with the aim of reaching deals which can be taken separately to their respective members.

Dr Oba Babs Osibodu and Dr Peter Fahey co-chairs of the BMA’s Welsh Junior doctors Committee said:

“This is a significant step forward. It is sad that we had to take industrial action to get here, but we are proud of members for demonstrating their resolve in pursuit of a fair deal for the profession.

“Whilst we are optimistic and hope to quickly resolve our dispute, we remain steadfast in achieving pay restoration. Until we reach a deal, nothing is off the table.

“We will continue to work hard to reach an offer that is credible to put to members who will ultimately have the final say.”

Dr Stephen Kelly, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ Consultants committee said:

“The Welsh Government’s recent efforts to reach an end to the pay dispute are encouraging and so we have called off our planned strike for now whilst we allow time and space for negotiations to take place.

“We’re hopeful that we can reach a deal that sufficiently addresses years of erosion to our pay to help retain senior doctors in Wales but remain ready to strike if we’re not able to do so during negotiations.”

Dr Ali Nazir, chair of BMA Cymru Wales’ SAS doctor committee said:

“As a committee, we felt that this latest development goes someway to understanding the strength of feeling of our members. We will work hard to reach a settlement that sufficiently meets the expectation of our colleagues who have faced real terms pay cuts of up to a third since 2008/9.”

In August last year, the BMA’s committees representing secondary care doctors in Wales voted to enter into separate trade disputes with the Welsh Government after being offered another below inflation pay uplift of just 5% for the 23/24 financial year. SAS doctors on some contracts were offered as little as 1.5%. This was the lowest pay offer any government in the UK offered and less than the DDRB, the pay review body for doctors and dentists, recommended last year.

As part of their disputes, SAS doctors, consultants and junior doctors carried out successful ballots for industrial action. Since then, junior doctors have taken part in 10 days of industrial action since January this year.

Health

BMA pay disputes – Junior Doctors, Consultants and Specialist Doctors

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Richard Lewis

THE WELSH Government and BMA Wales’ three national committees representing consultants, SAS doctors and junior doctors have today agreed to formal negotiations about pay.

Planned industrial action will be suspended during the negotiations.

A mandate is being developed for the talks with all three BMA branches of practice with the aim of resolving the disputes over pay for 2023-24.

In the context of the most challenging financial position the Welsh Government has faced since devolution, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to identify funding to support the negotiations.

First Minister Vaughan Gething said: “We recognise the strength of feeling among BMA members and that industrial action is never taken lightly.

“This is a government that listens and engages to find solutions. I prioritised a meeting with the BMA directly alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Health to reinforce our commitment to that partnership approach.

“We currently face the most severe financial situation in the devolution era which makes our task far harder. Despite this backdrop, we have worked to identify a way forward that I hope will lead to the successful resolution of this dispute and ensure that doctors can return to work in NHS Wales.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health Eluned Morgan added: “Even in these very challenging circumstances, we have worked in social partnership with the BMA and NHS to maintain patent safety during industrial action.

“But the strikes have been very disruptive to the delivery of NHS services – none of us want to see doctors on strike. I am pleased the three BMA committees have agreed to pause further industrial action and begin formal talks with Welsh Government and hope we can bring an end to this dispute.”

Health

NHS dental charges in Wales to increase from April

Published

3 weeks ago

April 1, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE COST of NHS dental treatment in Wales will increase from 1 April 2024.

The increase in dental charges is the first since April 2020 and are overall still lower than in England. Any revenue generated from the increased charges will be re-invested back into NHS dentistry services.

From April 2024, the three standard charges will increase to between £20.00 and £260.00 depending on the treatment required, and urgent treatment will increase to £30.00.

Around 50% of people receive NHS dental treatment for free in Wales. Those eligible for free treatment include children under 18 or those aged 18 and in full time education, pregnant women or those who have had a baby within the 12 months of treatment starting, anyone who has dentistry treatment carried out in a hospital or people on certain benefits.

Additionally, the low-income scheme provides full or partial help with health costs, depending on individual circumstances.

Despite pressure on budgets the Welsh Government has increased investment for dentistry, with funding £27 million higher than it was in 2018 to 2019. Included within this increase is an additional £2 million a year to address local access issues.

Changes to the dentistry contract in Wales include a requirement for NHS practices to see new patients. Since this was introduce in April 2022, 312,000 people who couldn’t get an appointment before have now received NHS dental treatment.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Eluned Morgan, said: “Because of the extreme pressure on our budget we have had to consider if additional funding should be raised by increasing dentistry charges.

“This is the first increase we have made to dentistry charges since 2020. Around half of patients don’t pay for their NHS dental treatment and we will continue to protect those that are least able to afford to pay.

“It is vital we all keep our teeth and gums healthy. This is why we are working to make it easier for people to see an NHS dentist by increasing the number of new NHS places and helping dentists to focus on those who need help by changing how often we see a dentist for routine appointments.”

Commenting on the announcement Russell George MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister said: “Vaughan Gething’s arrogant choice to hike up dental charges for the people Wales, rather than cut his Labour Government’s wasteful spending is wrong.

“All standard charges are being increased for dental services by the Labour Welsh Government, including for urgent treatment, which will add to cost-of-living pressures.

“While Welsh Conservatives agree that dental services require greater investment after years of Labour underfunding them, ministers should look at cutting vanity projects like their plans to create more politicians before passing on the cost to patients.”