“On 5th July, Britain marks 70 years since the establishment of a true national institution, putting the NHS under the global spotlight once again. Within the last 70 years our NHS has achieved some phenomenal successes, including the elimination of polio in the UK and the world’s first IVF baby. Reaching this milestone gives us the opportunity to celebrate those achievements and the outstanding work NHS staff carry out on a daily basis. But we must also acknowledge the challenges faced by the organisation that is globally renowned, to inspire change and ensure the longevity of the National Health Service.
Funding has always been, and will continue to be, a key factor in improving public services - however, just throwing money at such a vast and diverse organisation is not the best way forward. People make the NHS, and although the NHS needs more funding - it also needs more people. The National Health Service currently employs around 1.3 million people, yet there are still roughly 37,000 vacancies that desperately need filling. Doing so would no doubt alleviate some of the pressures felt by existing staff, and in turn enhance the services the public receives.
People are the cornerstone of public service delivery and the NHS deserves to attract and retain the very best talent. Private sector businesses today are heavily focused on enhancing their employer brand and on a daily basis I see how they are thinking even further outside of the box with ways to engage employees, enhance benefits packages and strengthen work-life balance. Working towards enhancing its employer brand would help the NHS compete against these big private businesses. As Brexit looms, we must do all we can to keep the very best candidates working here in the UK.
The government and ministerial staff must lead the way in helping to achieve this. The lack of government investment in the NHS over the years has been detrimental, and the solution to this will not come overnight. The first step is for politicians to agree on a long-term approach that will ensure services are improved, so that the organisation can meet the demands of our growing and aging population.
For the majority of the last seven decades, in particular the last two, the NHS has featured heavily in party manifestos. Opposing leaders have made pledges about how they would run the National Health Service in a bid to win votes, but many of these promises failed to come to fruition. It was used as the crux of the Brexit campaign, deviously claiming that the NHS would save £350 million per week if we left the EU, yet it is now said that we will only save between £8-12 billion overall each year post-Brexit. In addition, it will cost the nation £40 billion just to leave the treaty, leaving the public to face the harsh reality that there will be little-to-no benefit to the NHS as a result of leaving the EU, most certainly not until at least 2024.
Despite these challenges, the NHS continues to deliver so much good to so many people and inspires health services around the world, but the way UK politicians currently handle the organisation is not sustainable. Of course, we need to fill those immediate vacancies and keep the system fully staffed, but longer-term the government and senior management must look to improve the organisation’s culture, regardless of which party is ruling government at any given time. As the NHS celebrates this landmark birthday, I have noticed a surge in TV programmes and editorial features celebrating the incredible nature of this national treasure and the people who work for it. Those in charge should capitalise on all the positive stories that come from these celebrations and work them into longer-term plans to make it one of the country’s most desirable places in which to work.
In another 70 years time, I’m sure we will be able to celebrate even more successes and rightly praise those who work so tirelessly for the good of our NHS and the country overall.”
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