Response to the announcement of Lord Ara Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England
12 Sep 2024
Responding to the announcement of Lord Ara Darzi’s publication - Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said:
“In a short space of time Lord Darzi has articulated what those of us on the frontline see on a daily basis - an NHS unable to provide timely access to care on a routine basis, and a working environment which does not support staff to work at their best.
“Having rightly promised to hit the 18-week NHS waiting target within five years the government now needs to get a move on with setting out its plans for meeting this ambition. We need to support existing NHS reforms such as surgical hubs, which are proven to benefit patient care but current waiting times data show these will not be sufficient to generate the necessary step-change in patient care.
“There is now a chorus of voices - from the Institute of Fiscal Studies to frontline health staff - calling for greater investment in our buildings as a key part of increasing capacity in the NHS. Investment in staff is necessary and welcome, but chronic underinvestment in our buildings is hindering the ability to deliver more care for patients. We must not kid ourselves that business as usual or sticking plaster solutions will deliver a substantive change in treatment without proper investment in our NHS, particularly our estates.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.
2. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6054/6053; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.