Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at The King’s Fund, responded to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report, Clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic, 

‘This helpful report highlights that even as Covid-19 piles more pressure on to the NHS, the full scale of care backlogs isn’t limited to hospital services and includes general practice and people waiting for mental health, ambulance and community care. Social care also continues to face pressures across the board. 

‘Government pledges for more funding and new initiatives, such as increasing NHS diagnostic capacity, will play an important role in recovery, but staff shortages that were endemic before the pandemic have left staff and services depleted.  

‘The government has provided more funding for health and care services but has so far failed to deliver a national plan to fundamentally address the workforce crisis. Without this plan, efforts to recover services and tackle rising backlogs will be hamstrung and patients will be left waiting longer for the care they need. The Health and Care Bill currently in parliament also offers the government a prime opportunity to enshrine in law a commitment to produce realistic projections of the health and care staff needed.’ 

Notes to editors

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The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.