Doctors in Rutland say waiting times for operations are substantial
It comes as the government confirms funding plans to increase appointments
Rutland doctors say waiting times for operations are too long.
Funding to support the delivery of an extra two million NHS operations, scans and appointments a year to significantly cut waiting lists across England has been announced by the Chancellor and Health Secretary today.
People are suffering
This comes following over a decade of neglect and underinvestment of the NHS.
It's confirmed that the NHS will receive the funding needed to deliver an extra 40,000 elective appointments per week, delivering on one of the Government’s First Steps in office to reduce waiting times in the NHS.
This includes an additional £1.8bn the government has invested in elective activity this year since the July Statement.
This will be supported by a significant uplift of capital investment, with new capacity including surgical hubs and scanners, meaning thousands of additional procedures and millions of diagnostic tests across the country, alongside funding for new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.
The announcement could be an integral step in reducing the waiting list.
It's a long needed investment
Rutland representative for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Medical Committee, Adam Crowther, said:
"I certainly think it's a long needed investment."
"I certainly hope it will go some way in adjusting the great, deficit that seems to be present at the moment in terms of access to treatments and appointments for patients."
"It's certainly something that provides great frustration both to me and to my patients."
"From a local community perspective it's going to hopefully help."
"Patients will hopefully get seen quicker."
"They also might get their treatments quicker and they hopefully might get their operations quicker."
You certainly hear stories of patients waiting over a year for for procedures to alleviate discomfort and pain
"Waiting times are substantial. Particularly in certain areas for instance, in children's mental health services."
"You certainly hear stories of patients waiting over a year for for procedures to alleviate discomfort and pain, which means that people are suffering for that length of time."
"The funding is hopefully going to help but, I don't think that it's going to change very rapidly."
The funding comes after the Government last week launched ‘Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future’.
This was a national conversation to help develop the 10 Year Health Plan, which will set out our long-term vision for health and the path to delivering the three shifts to reform and transform health.