NHS 'needs our hope and effort'

  BMA council chair Mark Porter (pictured) has called on doctors to unite in the face of spiralling demand, shrinking resource and a growing recruitment and morale crisis. In a speech to the BMA special representative meeting on Tuesday 3 May Dr Porter said colleagues owed it to patients and themselves to ‘rise above the many provocations’ and take the NHS forward. The SRM was called to address the crisis in morale and workforce, and to propose solutions. It addressed issues including the £22bn funding gap anticipated for the NHS in England, and the crisis in morale, recruitment and retention across the profession. Dr Porter said: ‘We must believe that we can make UK medicine better and our health service better. It needs our hope as much as it needs our effort. It has never needed our hope more than now.’   Rising pressure One of the speakers, Professor Sir Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity at University College London, attacked Government austerity policies, which he said were increasing health inequalities and piling pressure on services. Sir Michael also warned that poor housing supply in particular would make the problem even worse in the coming years. Summing up, he told the SRM: ‘Cup your ears, I have some shocking news. Welfare spending improves health and reduces inequalities.’ Responding to Professor Sir Michael’s speech, Northern Ireland associate specialist in general medicine P...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news