RCS England response to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Labour Party Conference speech

Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

“The government is right to champion innovative ways to help patients get vital surgery sooner. 

“Across the UK surgeons are already driving forward waiting list initiatives and with targeted support from the government, there’s an opportunity to further turbocharge efforts to cut waits. But with 61% of respondents to our workforce census telling us that burnout and stress are major challenges in surgery, these initiatives must be delivered in a way that also considers staff wellbeing.

“The government needs to deploy more than just fire-fighting approaches to cutting waits. Alongside boosting evening and weekend working, we would like to see them invest in NHS buildings and estates, to repair crumbling buildings that aren’t fit for purpose, and create new surgical hubs, so surgical teams can deliver more care.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS 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 career. 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 6054/6047/6061; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.