NHS: Health Secretary Wes Streeting 'stunned' by NHS failings

Wes Streeting expressed his surprise at the NHS shortcomings he has discovered since taking on the role of health secretary.

He expressed that a lot of the information he has been given is not public knowledge yet, and he is committed to sharing the truth with the public about how patients and staff were let down.

Mr. Streeting has requested a separate examination into the performance of the NHS in England.

The most recent NHS waiting time data reveals that the backlog for hospital care has increased to 7.6 million, which is the highest it has been.

For the second consecutive month, the number of people waiting has increased, but it remains lower than the peak of 7.77 million reached in September.

The inquiry, spearheaded by NHS surgeon and non-affiliated peer Lord Ara Darzi, will provide valuable insights for Mr. Streeting's decade-long strategy for the NHS.

He shared with the BBC that during his initial week as the health and social care secretary, he was struck by the realization that things were going to get even worse.

There are many details known about the healthcare system and how patient safety is prioritized. People are being held accountable for their performance, with more information yet to be revealed.

He mentioned that he would explain this further in the upcoming weeks, and he expressed his full backing for the independent investigation.

He stated that this was necessary in order to clearly and openly demonstrate the extent of the shortcomings in the NHS.

Mr. Streeting added that measures will be implemented to ensure that senior managers are held accountable. If managers attempt to silence whistleblowers, they will be removed from their positions within the NHS.

He mentioned that he takes that problem very seriously.

Mr. Streeting informed The Sun newspaper that the NHS has the potential to be improved, but it is essential to first identify the underlying issue.

It's obvious to anyone involved with or receiving care from the NHS that the system is not functioning properly.

During the campaign, he mentioned that he spoke to many people all over the country who had been disappointed. For example, he talked about an 88-year-old woman who fell out of bed and had to wait three hours for an ambulance. He also mentioned an RAF veteran who has been waiting for an operation for 15 months.

It has been over eight years since England met any of the important targets for waiting times in A&E, hospital care, or cancer treatment.

In addition to the backlog, the waiting times for A&E and cancer care are far below the desired goals.

25% of patients had to wait over four hours in the emergency room in June, and 33% of cancer patients did not begin treatment within 62 days of being referred.

The release of the data coincides with the Nuffield Trust think-tank's alert that advancements in decreasing NHS waiting times have come to a standstill, with prolonged waits continuing to be widespread within the NHS.

Lord Darzi, who provided advice and served as a minister for the Labour governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has been given a deadline to submit his report by September.

The leader of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, expressed her approval of the investigation.

The NHS workers on the front lines are working extremely hard despite the immense challenges they are facing. However, it is evident that they are experiencing significant difficulties and patients are not always receiving the prompt, top-notch care that they require.

We will collaborate with the government, experts, and NHS workers to thoroughly examine the extent of the difficulties and develop strategies to tackle them. This in-depth assessment is crucial in our efforts to create a modernized NHS.