News

NHS needs radical shift to avoid reliance on private care, says expert

(1 April 2010)

Professor David Hunter

The NHS needs an urgent shift towards prevention of illnesses to avoid reliance on private providers, according to a Government advisor.

Professor David Hunter, from Durham University, made the comments as set NHS waiting times for suspected cancer and non-urgent treatments became law.

Under the new rights, if waiting times cannot be met, the NHS will be legally obliged to take all reasonable steps to offer patients a range of alternative providers.

A professor of health policy and management in Durham’s School of Medicine and Health, Prof Hunter fears this move will put more strain on the NHS which is already ‘under severe pressure from growing demand’: “The NHS needs to focus on prevention and keeping people well and out of hospital, but this is not something the NHS is currently geared up for or incentivised to do.   

“This move to offer set waiting times could drive up demand, especially from the ‘worried well’.

He added: “A radical shift in policy and practice is needed and must be a top priority for the next Government.  With proper investment, and given the necessary urgency, there would be no need to refer patients to private care.

“Health improvement and prevention is the key and that is where investment should be focused, rather than relying on expensive acute hospital services to cope with growing demand.  Most of this demand on the NHS comes from preventable lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. 

“Whoever comes into power after the next election needs to face the issue of these lifestyle-related diseases head on with less talk and more action.  As a first and vital step, the high levels of alcohol consumption, and of salt, sugar and fat in food need to be urgently addressed to ease the pressure on the NHS.” 

Professor Hunter, who has observed and commented on fourteen reviews of the health service, has written a new book with Durham colleague Linda Marks and Dr Katherine Smith from the University of Bath called “The Public Health System in England” about the threats to the health system including pandemic flu and lifestyle diseases.