UNISON has welcomed the government’s U-turn on hospital waiting lists.
But the union has raised serious questions about how any reduction in waiting times will be paid for.
“The only realistic way to tackle growing waiting lists is to put more money into struggling NHS hospitals,” said UNISON head of health Christina McAnea today.
“Cutting waiting lists should be a priority. But without extra funding, other NHS services will suffer.”
The government’s latest U-turn was prompted by the revelation that around 242,000 patients do not get treated within the 18 weeks guaranteed in the NHS constitution.
Department of Health data show that number steadily increasing since the coalition came to power.
And despite dismissing the waiting times introduced by Labour as “arbitrary Whitehall targets”, health secretary Andrew Lansley has now been forced to introduce his own.
This is the latest climbdown by the government, which has been given a torrid time by opponents, including UNISON, in its attempts to pass the controversial Health and Social Care Bill.
But the union is concerned that this victory may lead to its own complications.
“Patients should not have to wait unnecessarily, and in pain for an operation,” said Ms McAnea. “However, the bottom line is – is there going to be any new money to fund these measures, or will hospitals have to make cuts to services elsewhere?
“Many trusts are struggling financially, because of the government’s lack of funding, a pressure that has led to the increased waiting times and the rationing of treatments in the first place.”
The union is also concerned that if the bill succeeds in abolishing Labour’s cap on the income hospitals can make from private patients, those patients will be the ones at the head of the queue.