The Royal College of Surgeons of England has issued a press release statement in response to Lord Ara Darzi’s independent report on the current state of the NHS. The report highlighted significant challenges, including chronic underfunding, staff disengagement, and the pandemic’s lasting impact on services.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has issued a statement in response to Lord Ara Darzi’s independent report on the current state of the NHS.

The report, published on 12th September 2024, highlighted significant challenges, including chronic underfunding, staff disengagement, and the pandemic’s lasting impact on services. The independent investigation was commissioned by the recently appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in July 2024, following the general election. The report concluded that the NHS is in a “critical condition”, with the Government saying that the NHS needs to be reformed to overcome challenges like long waiting times.

Of particular concern to the College is the sharp rise in surgical waiting times, with long delays for critical procedures, such as hip and knee replacements. Moreover, Lord Darzi’s report points to a £37 billion shortfall in capital investment, which has contributed to outdated surgical facilities and equipment, further compounding delays in patient care.

The number of unique patients on the waiting list is estimated to be around 6.4 million, according to NHS England. The latest data also reveals that waits of over 65 weeks stood at 58,024 in June 2024, despite commitments to eliminate them entirely by September 2024. 

Responding to these figures in August, Professor Peter Friend, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

"The NHS desperately needs capital investment in the right places, to tackle the maintenance backlog, and increase surgical capacity: this includes more surgical hubs. We need this if we’re to avoid hundreds of thousands of patients continuing to live in pain on waiting lists."

In their latest statement, the College recognises the importance of Lord Darzi’s recommendations to improve hospital productivity and ensure the necessary resources are available for surgical teams to meet rising demand. Likewise, they highlight the report’s call for better staff engagement and operational efficiency as crucial to enhancing the quality of surgical care.

You can read the full press release below:

NHS Staff Survey results published today show that almost 9% of all NHS staff and 18% of medical and dental staff in training have been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour in the NHS from patients, service users, their relatives or other members of the public.  The data also shows that nearly 4% of NHS staff have been the target of unwanted sexual behaviour from staff/colleagues in the NHS. 

Professor Vivien Lees, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and lead on sexual misconduct, responded to the findings:

“For the first time, the NHS Staff Survey asked respondents if they had been the target of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace. Gathering this data is an important step as it gives us a better picture of the scale of the problem. 

“It is essential that staff members feel empowered to report instances of misconduct without fear of reprisal or negative impact on their career progression. They also need to feel confident that reports will be believed. As an important first step, we have written to NHS Trusts that haven’t yet signed the NHS sexual safety in healthcare charter, encouraging them to do so as soon as possible.  Royal College of Surgeons of England is actively lobbying accountable government and NHS organisations on the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery (WPSMS) recommendations including the need for reforms of reporting and investigation processes.

“There is absolutely no place in healthcare for these abhorrent behaviours. Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct, and we will actively work to eradicate this behaviour in surgery and healthcare.  The charter, which we have signed, requires healthcare organisations to ensure appropriate policies and reporting mechanisms are in place for sexual misconduct.” 

You can view the press release in full on the Royal College of Surgeons of England website here.