New Health Minister Victoria Atkins has revealed she is an “optimist” who will take a different approach to negotiations with doctors to end the strikes.
She told health chiefs at the annual conference of NHS providers in Liverpool that she would “sit down” to find a “fair and sensible solution”.
In a pre-recorded video message, Ms Atkins said she planned to work with staff to address healthcare challenges and “take long-term decisions that create a brighter future for our NHS”.
She added: “This is the approach I will take to industrial action.
“I am very aware of how much the strikes have affected patient care and I am committed to coming to the table because I want to see a fair and reasonable solution.”
She told health chiefs at the annual conference of NHS providers in Liverpool that she would “sit down” to find a “fair and sensible solution”. In a pre-recorded video message, Ms Atkins said she planned to work with staff to address healthcare challenges and “take long-term decisions that create a brighter future for our NHS”.
Official figures also show that waiting lists for routine NHS procedures have risen to a new record, with around 6.5 million patients in England waiting for 7.77 million appointments and procedures in England. But the Treasury Department refused to fully bail out the health care system, forcing leaders to scale back plans to clear the backlog.
NHS strikes have led to the cancellation of more than a million appointments and operations, costing around £1 billion.
The Treasury Department refused to fully bail out the health care system, forcing leaders to scale back plans to clear the $7.8 million backlog.
At the beginning of her message, Ms. Atkins said she “first of all, thank you all for the fantastic and important work you do.”
She added: “I’m sorry I can’t be with you in Liverpool but I’m really looking forward to getting to know you and working with you in the coming weeks and months.”
“It is a true pleasure and privilege to serve as your Secretary of State for Health and Human Services.
Read more: Concerns over new health minister Victoria Atkins’ ‘conflict of interest’ in obesity fight as 47-year-old’s husband turns out to be sugar tycoon
“My belief in our national health system and its core principles is one of the reasons why I entered politics.”
“Now I know you may hear this a lot, but for me it’s really personal.
Like families across the country, I owe a lot to our NHS.
“It provided for me and my family and gave birth to my beautiful son.
“I want to make sure it’s in good condition for our children and grandchildren, just like it was here for us.”
Ms Atkins said there was “a lot of work to do” with government reforms “in planning” and the NHS facing a difficult winter.
“We know winter is going to be challenging, but this year we all started preparing earlier than ever before,” she said.
“With our recovery plan, we can continue to expand capacity, strengthen resilience and provide better care.”
This should be our first priority.
“I recognize that this requires collaboration with other organizations and sectors – for example working with the police to support people experiencing mental health crises.”
She told staff they had overcome “a one-off pandemic” and were working to address waiting lists.
She concluded with a heartfelt thank you to the staff, adding: “Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
Now is the time to do something for patients and our NHS.”
Discussions are currently underway between medical leaders and Department of Health and Human Services officials about how best to resolve strikes.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, told the provider conference about her first phone call with Ms Atkins after becoming health secretary.
Asked what was the first question she asked Ms Atkins, Ms Pritchard said: “I wonder if you would be interested in the first question she asked me?”
Official data released last month showed that more than 100,000 hospital appointments in England were postponed due to walkouts by British Medical Association (BMA) consultants and junior doctors in October. Radiologists also joined the picket lines
“The first question she asked me was, ‘What can I do to help you?’
“We had a very detailed discussion at the time, but it will come as no surprise that one of the first things we discussed was industrial action.”
“So we were very clear, we talked over and over about the impact of the industrial action on patients, talked about the impact on our own teams and colleagues, talked about the impact on finances, but also talked about what impact it has on us had own teams and colleagues. “We are requested from all sides to work together on a solution.”
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trusts, said the conference to resolve the strikes was “absolutely essential”.
She added: “We really need to put this industrial dispute behind us and I was really encouraged to hear Victoria’s approach in the film, which was really focused on coming to the table and negotiating, having a conversation and to listen.”
“It feels so important and I think there’s even more reason for hope than in the last few weeks when we knew talks were going on.”
Professor Phil Banfield, chairman of the board of the British Medical Association, said: “We welcome the new health minister’s commitment to sit down with us and provide a clear mandate for a solution for government and doctors ‘s dispute.”
“We hope that Victoria Atkins’ appointment and words will be followed by swift action, something we have not always seen from previous health ministers.”
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
