Received from: BDA
Congress reaffirms its commitment maintaining an NHS which is universal, equitable, comprehensive, free at the point of delivery and centrally funded. Congress is therefore alarmed at the deepening crisis facing the service and its staff.
Congress welcomes the long-awaited publication of the NHS Workforce Long-Term Plan in July 2023, but remains concerned that it does not provide clarity on detail or funding and that a 15-year plan does little to address the current crisis.
Congress notes that:
i. more than 10,00 patients are waiting 18 months or more for treatment with over 360,00 waiting over a year and waiting times for ambulances are resulting in serious consequences for patients
ii. there are around 112,000 vacancies in the NHS which are predicted to rise as high as 571,000 by 2036 if this trend continues
iii. UK government spending on health is 18 per cent below the EU 14 average
iv. pay for all NHS staff has fallen behind significantly in the 13 years of the Tory government and remains below inflation
v. the current government has failed to address the significant inequalities in the health of the UK population.
Congress therefore calls on the General Council to:
a. prioritise a campaign to protect our NHS by demanding adequate funding and a plan to reverse the current trend of outsourcing and privatisation.
b. work with health unions to press for a real plan for pay restoration.
British Dietetic Association
AMENDMENT
› Insert new bullet point after v.:
“vi. spending on prevention of long-term conditions, such as diabetes, is inadequate and
leads to long term pressure on the NHS and the economy that can be avoided.”
Royal College of Podiatry