HEALTHCARE P LANNING
already faced in keeping pace with the demands placed on them. Countries with greater pre-existing capacity and that have more effectively contained coronavirus are likely to be in a better position to cope with care backlogs arising from the pandemic and recover from its consequences.4 For highly efficient systems like the NHS, the pandemic has shown how it is not possible to run services at more than 90% capacity and expect them to rise to the challenge when there is a surge in demand. But the NHS has also demonstrated other significant strengths that are foundational to system resilience. These include the ability to rapidly collect and share information across the systems, centralised mechanisms for coordinating services and redistributing capacity, and the ability to inject funds where needed and ensure financial solvency during periods of great uncertainty. All of these will be important assets to the NHS, as it seeks to recover elective backlogs and deal with unforeseen shocks.
Conclusion
One of the great ironies of this plan for recovery is that it seeks to free up space for additional capacity by separating services – i.e. urgent and emergency care and elective care. In this author’s view this is a very short-term gain particularly when
There will be a new national network for long waiters which will be managed by the national NHS team. It appears that patients may be sent some distance from where they live in order to prioritise their treatment. This may be provided by either the independent sector or the NHS.
the current trend in healthcare efficiency and development is integrating systems, recognising that patient pathways are co- dependent on other parts of the system. Integrated care systems are currently getting to know each other and developing plans to deliver services in a more effective way, by taking out barriers. Separating elective care away from the hospital sets up opportunities for barriers to be reinstated. Patients do not play to standardised plans, and elective patients need to be able to access ICU, as well as professionals who are experienced in advanced care, should they need it. It would not be good for care quality to be shipping patients across cities by ambulance, in order to get the appropriate care in the appropriate place. There are a vast number of challenges implicit in the recovery programme and it
needs to be delivered to reduce pain and suffering to patients who have already waited way beyond the best time for their clinical condition. However, it must also be done with care for the staff who are still suffering the after-effects of COVID-19. CSJ
References 1. NHS England and NHS Improvement 2022, Delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care. Accessed at:
www.england.nhs.uk/ coronavirus/publication/delivery-plan-for-tackling- the-covid-19-backlog-of-elective-care/
2. Nuffield Trust. Health system recovery from COVID-19: international lessons for the NHS. Accessed at
https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/ research/health-system-recovery-from-covid-19- international-lessons-for-the-nhs
3. Ibid 4. Ibid
Endoscopy Repair Specialists
The Difference is Clear JUNE 2022
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