Tough choices are on the cards as staff struggle to meet targets, a health boss has warned.
NHS Providers boss Chris Hopson said the Chancellor’s early £6.3bn Christmas present to the NHS was less than it needs, but more than managers expected.
He warned that: ‘Tough choices are now needed and trade offs will have to be made.’
He said that as staff try to stay on track of targets ‘it is difficult to see how the NHS can deliver everything in 2018/19, for example fully recovering performance targets.’
Tough choices are on the cards as staff struggle to meet targets, a health boss has warned.
NHS Providers boss Chris Hopson said the Chancellor’s early £6.3bn Christmas present to the NHS was less than it needs, but more than managers expected.
He warned that: ‘Tough choices are now needed and trade offs will have to be made.’
He said that as staff try to stay on track of targets ‘it is difficult to see how the NHS can deliver everything in 2018/19, for example fully recovering performance targets.’
He said frontline leaders will have to discuss what they can and cannot achieve with the funding unveiled by the Chancellor today.
Managers are having to live ‘hand to mouth’ and are finding it impossible to plan effectively unless they get a sustainable long term settlement, he warned.
The Local Government Association said the Chancellor failed to offer any extra money to help boost social care and help avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
A spokesman commented: ‘It is hugely disappointing that the Budget offered nothing to ease the financial crisis facing local services. Funding gaps and rising demand for our adult social care and children’s services are threatening the vital services which care for our elderly and disabled, protect children and support families.’
He added: ‘Adult social care services are essential to keeping people out of hospital and living independent, dignified lives at home and in the community and alleviating the pressure on the NHS. Simply investing more money into the NHS, while not addressing the funding crisis in adult social care is not going to help our joint efforts to prevent people having to go into hospital in the first place.’
