Experts debate how to solve the ongoing NHS crisis
Privatisation, social care funding, the cost of living crisis, GP services and what’s needed from the government were all topics discussed during an exclusive online hosted by The Independent
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It is widely known additional pressures and longer waiting times have grown as NHS staff have experienced stresses like they never have before.
To discuss how to heal these ongoing issues facing the National Health Service, The Independent gathered experts in their field for an online panel event hosted by our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas.
Dr Alexis Paton, director at the Centre for Health and Society, Hannah Barham-Brown, a GP and also deputy leader of the Women’s Equality Party, and Sean O’Sullivan, Head of Health and Social Policy for the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), joined us to explain how they think the future of the NHS can be secured.
The discussion, held on Zoom, ranged from how the Covid pandemic hit the NHS through to the likelihood of the NHS being privatised by the government in future years.
The panelists were quick to reference the turning point we are currently at from a poitical perspective following a quick succession of different administrations and health secretraries with it.
To watch the event in full see the recording below:
Dr Barham-Brown said: “Politcians need to get out of the way.
She added: “At the moment we are trying to offer champagne on a Lambrini budget and we are not even managing to get Chardonnay.”
In terms of solutions, Dr Paton added: “We have reinvented the wheel with this so many times and what we need with this is a cross-party committment to say this is how we are going to deal with the NHS in a long term way.”
While Mr O’Sullivan added: “The good news is that the MP who probably tried to do more to change the health care bill to include the workforce planning than others was of course Jeremy Hunt, who is now the chancellor, so you would hope there would be a but more impotus towards that.”
To watch the event back in full please view the recording in the video above.
To watch other recordings in our virtual event series click here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments