International Shia News Agency

UK healthcare workers say NHS at ‘breaking point’

The warning was made in an open letter published in the British daily, the Independent, on Sunday, in which the signatories called for a “fully costed spending plan” to cover the health services’ financial “black hole.”

SHAFAQNA – Britain’s leading healthcare professionals have warned that England’s National Health Services (NHS) is at “breaking point” and its “founding principles” are at risk.

The signatories, representing hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses, patients, carers, as well as charity bosses, expressed concern that the country’s health and care system is “buckling under the twin crises” of rising patient demand and the recent years of government budget reforms.

In addition, the signatories, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, highlighted that the NHS and the care system are failing to meet crucial targets for cancer treatment and unable to help thousands of elderly and vulnerable people, often suffering from dementia.

Furthermore, the healthcare professionals said in the letter that there are already evident signs of strain on the NHS such as rising waiting times for emergency care and appointments to general practitioners (GP) as well as severe pressure on mental health services.

“The anxieties of people working at the front line of the health and care services are well-known,” the letter read.

Both the Labour Party and the Conservatives have made pledges on health and care spending in their election campaigning, promises which experts warn will not be sufficient to keep the current levels of service.

NHS England has predicted that if demand continues to grow and no additional funding is given, the health service could be £30 billion in the red by 2020.

Under Prime Minister David Cameron’s leadership, the NHS has suffered the longest period of funding restraint in its 66-year history, resulting in the layoff of over 7,000 NHS clinical staff members, including doctors and nurses.

 

 

Source: Press TV

www.shafaqna.com

 

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