While welcoming the announcement of increased funding for the NHS, the CSP has cautioned that workforce issues must also be addressed.
Responding to the Treasury announcement that a £6 billion package of funding to help tackle NHS backlogs across England will form part of the upcoming Budget, CSP chief executive Karen Middleton highlighted the need to address workforce shortages.
Middleton said: 'The extra funding for the NHS is welcome, and the intention behind it is good, but the results may not address the biggest issues.
'It's hugely important to speed up diagnostics and surgery to reduce the unacceptably long time people are waiting in often excruciating pain.
However, you need staff to operate the new equipment and carry out the surgeries and this funding does nothing to address ongoing workforce shortages, which may also be exacerbated by a potential vaccine mandate.
'Meanwhile, doing the procedures without investing in post-operative rehab is condemning people to a poorer quality of life, as is continuing to ignore the crises in community and mental health services.
'So while this announcement addresses some problems, it overlooks others and ultimately compounds the misery faced by patients and staff.'
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