Why a radical approach is needed to help our ailing NHS - Daxa Patel

I saw the Prime Minister on Laura Kuenssberg’s show this Sunday. When asked repeatedly, if he had private health cover he refused to answer. I understand. I also think those who have private health cover are doing those of us who use the NHS a favour because one less person using our ‘free health system’ means another patient can.

We should take pride in our healthcare service which incidentally is not free as we do pay for it but in many countries patients need expensive health insurance or worse still many cannot afford basic health care. We are fortunate on many fronts but if enough patients and medical professionals are saying that the service is beyond breaking point, we must admit a radical approach is required.

It is quite insulting that the Government wants reassurance of efficiencies from paramedics, nurses, and junior doctors. It is also poor to hide behind the extra funding of £7bn to health and social care without helping sort the significant issues. The current government is behaving as if they have just come to power, but their party has been in power for 12 years.

If we go back to when the NHS was founded by Aneurin Bevan on July 5, 1948, the UK population was 49.4 million. 75 years on there have been many changes. The UK population now in 2022 was 67.5 million. The NHS has more managers than in 1948 but a succession of governments has failed to nurture the NHS. More funding is good, but it is not enough. What is required are wholesale changes which includes going back to basics.

It is truly laughable when the current government tries to blame the issues with patient safety and care on the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. What about the waste of expensive consultancy fees, top and middle managers salaries and the posh NHS glass headquarters near Buckingham Palace?

I have no inside experience other than I have been to the NHS headquarters. I was astonished how the NHS could justify such an expensive building to house their managers and team leaders when we have patients, including the elderly waiting for 20 hours or more on a trolley or in a chair in A&E.

I humbly offer some practical solutions in the vain hope that it might catch the eye of an NHS boss or the Prime Minister.

For hospitals given the advance of technology and online booking, savings can be made by streamlining management. The typical NHS project manager salary is around £43,000, why not pay nurses and paramedics more instead?

Prevent NHS consultants from earning privately and make it an either or. This might help with better and timely patient care. A typical NHS surgeon/consultant will earn around anything between £88,000 to £120,000.

If they opt not to work privately, give them an incentive. They could give their extra time and wisdom to figuring out better ways to serve patients.

Give nurses more delegated power. Bring back matrons and local midwifery care. ‘Call the Midwife’ series on BBC comes to mind. If primary healthcare were more robust this would prevent the pressure on hospitals.

Care given by nurses and paramedics is often the first contact a patient and their families will have in the middle of a frightening health scare.

Sadly, patients are often passed from pillar to post without any continuing care and sometimes it is not so much the medicine but the compassion that makes all the difference. I doubt paramedics, doctors including GPs and nurses would dedicate their lives to patient care but for their passion to serve. We must acknowledge that and recognise their devotion by empowering them.

We need a root and branch transformation which sadly a career politician cannot handle as they have no expertise.

We need to commission a report by appointing a senior nurse, paramedic or a doctor. They are better placed to say how we can improve our healthcare system.

I have recently found myself in need of medical care for an ear infection, a minor problem in the scheme of things but it made me realise what if my father needed care? How would I navigate the system?

We were extremely lucky as we had, and still have a great GP but what if you cannot get through and you have to go to A&E and wait for hours? Those with elderly parents will know what I am talking about.

For many their GP is the only person to whom they can talk. It is sad when you see a notice ‘we have zero tolerance’ in surgeries. We need to empower our primary health care providers by giving them respect and freedom to do their work. My dad used to call his GP his daughterly doctor because her care was the best tonic.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a solicitor, author and executive coach.