The RCP has today responded to Steve Barclay’s appointment as secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Responding to the appointment of the Rt. Hon. Steve Barclay MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, president of the Royal College of Physicians Sir Andrew Goddard said:
“Just over a year ago I welcomed Sajid Javid into this role, saying that the previous 18 months had been some of the hardest the NHS and social care had ever faced. As we welcome a new secretary of state, I must reiterate the ongoing pressure we are under as we work to reduce the backlog of diagnostics and elective care, while continuing to provide urgent and emergency care. There are now a record 6.5 million people waiting for care. Some forecasts suggest this could hit over 10 million by 2024.
“As I said earlier this month when the NHS monthly performance data was published, improvements in waiting times are down to hospital teams and clinicians working above and beyond normal hours. We will continue to do this because caring for people is what we do, but we must remember we have been doing this since the pandemic began.
“So the RCP will keep saying that the NHS needs more doctors and other clinicians to keep pace with the demand for care. The skill mix needed to manage that demand needs thinking about in detail, so we look forward to the publication of the much-needed 15 year NHS workforce strategy that government has commissioned.
“We are also pleased that Mr Barclay has said the government is still committed to reforming social care. The provision of more and better care that keeps people out of hospital in the first place and speeds up discharge of those in hospital is a vital part of the picture.
“Mr Barclay’s appointment also comes at a critical moment in our efforts to tackle health inequality. We hope the secretary of state will dedicate himself to working with his colleagues across government to improve the health of the nation and reduce health inequality. The RCP fully expects the health disparities white paper to be published this year as planned, and will be assessing it on the extent to which it lays out cross-government action, and whether it has an equal focus on the wider determinants of health, behavioural factors, and access and outcomes.
“The challenges facing the health and care service as we recover from the pandemic remain as significant as they were a year ago. The nation clearly faces some significant spending pressures, but investing in the health of the nation is a price worth paying. We look forward to working with the secretary of state to ensure that the NHS and its clinicians get the necessary support and resources to thrive in their roles and deliver the care that patients expect and deserve.”