Kings Fund - First NHS performance data since new government was elected

Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, commented on the latest monthly NHS performance data

‘On his first day in office, the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said that the NHS is broken. These statistics make that statement hard to disagree with. Funding might be tight, but in many ways the space has now been created to drive much needed reform of the NHS. The public can see it's needed, these statistics show it's needed, and the Secretary of State is willing to say it's needed.

‘Before winning the general election, the Labour Party pledged to return the NHS to meeting performance standards by the end of this parliament, if it was to form the new government. NHS performance is currently well below the levels patients rightly expect, and which are set out as rights and pledges in the NHS Constitution.

‘Today's figures show 75% of people waited under four hours in A&E, when the target is 95%; only 59% of patients waited under 18 weeks for planned hospital treatment, when the target is 92%; and the average ambulance response time to conditions like strokes and heart attacks was over 34 minutes, when the standard is 18 minutes.

‘The figures show the next five months, let alone the next five years, will be far from plain sailing. The new government will face choices and dilemmas over how quickly it can improve NHS performance when finances remain tight. The government will also have to balance the immediate focus on improving NHS waiting times and early planning for the traditionally tough winter period with their welcome longer-term reforms to move more care into the community.

‘The prize of shorter waiting times and better patient care would be a good goal for any government. But it will not be easily won.'

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