NHS crisis: ‘Over my dead body’ – Proposals to make some patients pay for care spark backlash
The NHS winter crisis has been a struggle for patients and staff alike – but it has also prompted a long overdue and necessary debate about its sustainability and future.
There are those – like former health secretary Sajid Javid – who think the way forward for the free cradle-to-grave service is to start charging the patients who can afford it.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting’s reply to this proposal was: “Over my dead body.”
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Can the NHS survive?
Defenders of the NHS as a free for all service – including the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown – warn this will create a two-tier system that will fail the most vulnerable.
However, all sides agree that the NHS is in need of reform and cannot be allowed to endure an endless cycle of summer and winter crises.
At its inception, the National Health Service was designed to serve a very different population. Today, thanks to advances in science and medicine, people live much longer.
But living longer does not necessarily mean people are healthier – and an ageing population, many with complex comorbidities, presents serious challenges.
Professor Kiran Patel, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, has advised on future health planning at a regional and national level.
“We could always say that planning could have been better, but we’ve been planning for many, many decades,” Prof Patel says.
“We’ve known the population is getting older. We know that the public expect more, we know that technology and digital health care is up there [in term of priorities].”
COVID has left a long shadow over the NHS. We are still learning about the impact of the virus on our bodies.
We can see already its impact on patient waiting lists that now stand at over seven million.
But Prof Patel argues that the pandemic’s legacy is not all bad.
“The pandemic has forced us to actually adopt a lot of that [new technology] and to start thinking a bit more clearly in terms of planning, not just services, but also our workforce for the future as well,” he said.
The workforce issue is critical. There are over 165,000 vacancies currently in the NHS.
Ambulance workers, nurses and hospital staff are striking for better pay – and will continue their industrial action for weeks to come unless their demands are met.
They are burnt out, demoralised and feel undervalued.
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An NHS hospital under pressure
In November 2022, Health Secretary Steve Barclay outlined five priorities in the short term for the NHS.
They were employing more staff for NHS 111 and 999 services, focusing on urgent and emergency care, tackling delays in discharge from hospital, improving access to primary care, and investing in technology.
He was heavily criticised at the time by some health leaders for failing to mention the workforce crisis.
Labour’s Wes Streeting, speaking after the first wave of healthcare strikes, has had some strong words to say about the future of our health service.
He said the NHS was in an “existential crisis” – and pledged his party would train more staff, use the private sector to bring down waiting lists, and introduce fair pay and conditions for workers.
But he too has been under fire for outlining the Opposition’s proposals for GP reform – saying a Labour government would “tear up the contract” with GPs and could make family doctors salaried NHS employees.
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Charges for GP appointments?
Sajid Javid’s proposal would see patients charged £20 fees for GP appointments and £66 for emergency visits without a referral. The idea will be met with fierce opposition from frontline medics.
Dr Ed Hartley, the director for emergency medicine at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, would resist any moves to charge payments.
He says that would not solve the crisis. Instead, he wants to see reform and investment in key areas like social care and staff recruitment and retention.
“I want to see [extra funding] in social care, I want to see the right size of hospitals … we’ve lost thousands of hospital beds over the last decade, but we need to work out as a population what the right number is.
“I want to see system leadership. So, I want to see the NHS working with local authorities, with community health providers, all together to tackle problems, and I want to see long-term investment in the workforce.”
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How NHS crisis is affecting ambulances
Dr Hartley says extra funding will help to solve many of the health service’s problems, but only if it is directed towards long-term solutions.
He said: “Money in the right places fixes the NHS. Short-term projects – to put a holding pen for ambulances outside the A&E – don’t fix the NHS. Short-term projects to help buy some hotel rooms for care home patients or patients who need to leave hospital don’t fix the NHS.
“Long-term investment in the workforce, long-term investment in the right size of hospitals, and recognising the care sector as a rewarding career with progression, and presumably appropriate pay, will go a long way to helping the NHS.”
Kicking off a major ongoing project on the future of the National Health Service, an hour-long debate into the future of the NHS will take place this evening, live from University Hospital Coventry.
It begins at 7pm and will be hosted by Sky News presenter Anna Botting alongside a special panel.
If you are an NHS worker and would like to share your experiences with us anonymously, please email NHSstories@sky.uk.
Oleksandr Usyk has become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Tyson Fury in boxing’s biggest fight of the century.
The Ukrainian won on a split decision following the match in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk had 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards, while Fury took the other 114-113.
Oleksandr Usyk lands a punch on Tyson Fury. Pic: PA
Fury disputed his loss after the match, saying: “I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few rounds but I won more of them.
“Make no mistake I won that fight and I’ll be back.”
In response Usyk said he was “ready for a rematch”.
Pic: Action Images via Reuters
Fury came under early pressure, with Usyk taking the centre of the ring with an aggressive offensive from the start.
At one point Fury was pushed against the ropes and started laughing as Usyk applied pressure.
The “Gypsy King” looked relaxed as he moved around the ring in the early rounds and picked his shots.
Pic: PA
Fury lunges at Usyk. Pic: PA
But after Usyk landed a right hook in the ninth round it looked as if Fury was in serious trouble. The Ukrainian followed up by unloading freely but somehow the bookmakers’ favourite stayed on his feet and was saved by the bell.
Last night, Fury weighed in at 262lbs (18st 10lbs) – nearly three stone heavier than Usyk, who clocked in at a career heaviest of 223lbs (15st 13lbs).
Fury refused to look at his opponent during a news conference on Thursday, but did not back down at the weigh-in last night, where the pair almost came to blows before being separated by their entourages.
Usyk arrived into the ring first, dressed as a Cossack warrior.
Fury entered to songs by Barry White and Bonnie Tyler, with the “Gypsy King” spending several minutes dancing on stage before the song changed to Holding Out For A Hero.
Anthony Joshua watched from the ringside, knowing he could meet the winner early next year.
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UK
Brixham: Warning ‘heads are going to roll’ after water parasite outbreak – as ‘nearly every house in one close has someone ill’
Thousands of homes have had their boiling water restrictions lifted after a water tank infected with cryptosporidium was drained and cleaned, South West Water has said.
About 16,000 households in the Brixham area of Devon were told to boil their drinking water following 46 confirmed cases of the disease.
On Saturday afternoon South West Water lifted the boiling restrictions for 14,500 homes after water quality monitoring results found no traces of cryptosporidium in the Alston supply area.
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a tiny parasite and can lead to vomiting, stomach cramps and watery diarrhoea lasting about two weeks.
More cases are expected to be confirmed due to a delay in developing symptoms – and about 100 more people around Brixham were reporting signs of it on Friday.
South West Water believes the parasite probably entered supplies through a damaged pipe in a field containing animal faeces.
A contaminated water tank at Hillhead reservoir, where cryptosporidium was detected, was drained overnight and “thoroughly cleaned” on Saturday, South West Water said.
One local resident said she knew of only four houses out of 21 in Raddicombe Close, on the outskirts of Brixham, which have not had at least one person fall ill with cryptosporidiosis.
The local MP has warned “heads are going to roll” over the incident.
Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, whose constituency includes Brixham, told LBC: “This is such a serious matter that yes, I think heads are going to roll over this.”
He claimed the supplier had been too slow to issue its safety alert.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
Mr Mangnall said: “From starting this week with a denial from South West Water that it was anything to do with them, delaying the fact that the boil water notice came in – meaning thousands of people used the water network – to then issuing it on Wednesday, and there are a lot of people who are very ill.”
He called it an “absolutely disastrous week” and said locals were furious.
South West Water has said it’s “deeply sorry” and that it’s been “working tirelessly” to identify the source of the problem and fix it.
Bottled water stations have been set up in the area.
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What we know about parasite found in drinking water
Parasite outbreak has ‘destroyed’ business
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of not doing enough to hold water companies to account.
He told Sky News the firms were “putting profit over the environment, over public health” after multiple cases of sewage being released into rivers and seas.
“We [Liberal Democrats] wouldn’t wait for fines for pollution,” Sir Ed said.
“There should be a sewage tax on the profits of these water companies so we can get the money now.
“There needs to be much tougher regulation… and we may need to look at restructuring the whole water industry.”
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Kelly Holmes joins anti-sewage protest
It comes as dozens of protests over sewage releases were planned for Saturday.
Surfers Against Sewage is promoting “paddle-out” demonstrations at 30 locations, with Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes among those at the event in Brighton.
The confirmed cases of a waterborne disease caused by a parasite have more than doubled.
There are now 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, a diarrhoeal illness, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said – with more than 100 further people reporting similar symptoms in the Brixham area.
Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in residents and visitors to the south Devon town are also under investigation. Hundreds of locals have also reported feeling unwell over the last two weeks on social media.
MPs and South West Water officials have confirmed the parasite most likely entered water supplies through animal faeces, but an investigation is still ongoing.
What is cryptosporidiosis disease?
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‘Cow faeces’ infected Devon water
The UKHSA first confirmed cases of the disease at around midday on Wednesday, while locals were initially told by South West Water that their tap water was uncontaminated and safe to drink.
But after testing supplies in the Hillhead reservoir, the water company found “small traces” of the parasite cryptosporidium – which causes cryptosporidiosis – and told residents in parts of Brixham and Alston to boil their drinking water on Wednesday.
A total of 16,000 households and businesses in Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton were impacted and offered £15 compensation at first.
Over the next two days, South West Water apologised to those affected and increased the offer to £115. Amid the chaos, one primary school closed its doors on Thursday due to not having safe running drinking water.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
‘Very hard questions for water company’
Speaking to Sky News yesterday, South West Water’s chief customer officer Laura Flowerdew confirmed it was likely a broken air valve contaminated by animal faeces that had caused the outbreak.
However, she refused to give a timeframe on how long the incident would be ongoing – leaving thousands of residents facing an uncertain future.
Speaking on Friday at the University of Exeter, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said there will be “very, very hard questions” for South West Water over the outbreak.
“At the moment I think we probably need to give them the space to conduct their investigation; we know that they have identified the source,” she said.
“The public will want to know how on earth that source happened, what was the chain of events that led to this, because of course we all understand the expectation that we all have when we turn our taps on is that [we get] clean drinking water and we want to be able to trust it.”
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Most cases of cryptosporidiosis pass in two weeks. Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. File pic: Dr_Microbe/iStock
‘Expect to see more cases’
Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall also warned the boil notice could last “at least a further six or seven days” and called for more transparency.
Professor Paul Hunter, a specialist in medical microbiology at the University of East Anglia, told Sky News if the parasite was “a continuous thing” present in water supplies for a prolonged period, then “you’d expect to see more cases” for another two weeks.
It comes as hotel owners in the area told Sky News the outbreak has led to people cancelling their stay, while a head chef said “I can’t wash salad in the sink”.
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‘Destroyed our business’
Stephen Colemansfield, owner of Redlands Guest House in Brixham, told Sky News the outbreak has “destroyed our business at the moment”.
“Our guests have cancelled because of the mixed messages that are being sent out by South West Water.”
Rob, head chef at the Steam Packet Inn in Kingswear near Dartmouth, also said his brother-in-law is one of the 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis and has been sick for two weeks.
The UKHSA is working with Torbay Council, South West Water, NHS Devon and the Environment Agency on the incident.
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