DAUK\u2019s GP lead Dr Lizzie Toberty has called for a joined up approach to health to ease pressure on the NHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Toberty told national radio listeners that the government needed to invest in public health to improve the health of the nation and prevent people getting unwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking on Nick Ferrari\u2019s breakfast time programme on LBC, Dr Toberty said: \u201cWe need to look at public health and the reasons why we are unwell and getting unwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe public health budget has been slashed by about a third in real terms since 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need to urgently look at and try to improve the health of our nation proactively and not just wait until people are getting unwell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Toberty was commenting on the latest NHS referral to treatment figures for June 2024 show that the waiting list stood at 7.6 million cases, with an estimated 6.4 million patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the 7.6 million, in 302,693 cases the patient was waiting more than 52 weeks, the NHS said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 58,024 cases they were waiting more than 65 weeks, in 2,621 cases they were waiting more than 78 weeks, and in 120 cases they were waiting more than 104 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 58.9 per cent of cases the patient had been waiting up to 18 weeks, missing the target of 92 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Toberty told national radio listeners that she was not surprised by the figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As a nation we are unhealthy and sick,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are one in nine of us waiting for treatment at the moment, and I don\u2019t think there are any quick fixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know about the suffering and the difficulties our patients are having, and not just the patients but their families and their carers around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we have these problems, it starts to put pressure on the rest of the health service because a problem initially then creates problems with pain and depression and other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople have to go somewhere with those issues so you can see how things quickly escalate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad this is a top priority for the government, and it needs to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we can bring waiting lists down I am convinced we will reduce some of the pressures on the acute parts of our services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Toberty said the government should look at investment in the NHS as an investment in the wider economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis needs investment,\u201d she said \u201cThey need to pay overtime, and we need to get this down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is an investment in our health service, in our economy, in getting us well and back on our feet again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listen again to Dr Toberty\u2019s interview<\/a> on the DAUK page on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n