RCP responds to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement

Professor Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians said:

“The Chancellor has today made clear that the NHS remains a key priority for government, in particular its ambition to drive down waiting lists, move to a neighbourhood health service, and invest in technology. 

“Government must recognise the critical role of the NHS medical workforce in this. The 10 Year Workforce Plan due next year must be underpinned by the necessary funding to invest in the medical workforce, expand specialty training places and ensure we have the right workforce in the right places to deliver on the NHS 10 year plan. Recruitment as well as focus on retention and workforce wellbeing is key.

“We welcome the £300 million of new capital investment for digital tools. Digital systems that can talk to each other will be essential to delivering a successful hospital to community shift, where clinicians in different parts of the NHS can work together to support patients. It is a critical part of improving the interface for better patient care. Prioritising effective implementation and interoperability will be key to realising the benefits of this new funding. Poorly implemented digital systems hinder rather than help productivity.”

On neighbourhood care, Professor Patel said:

“We welcome the government’s commitment to roll out 250 new neighbourhood health centres across England. The RCP has long advocated for care closer to home – the promised shift must prioritise integration between primary, secondary and community care for better patient care. 

“While today’s focus is on the establishment of the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme to deliver these centres, what we still need is clinically-led detail on the how neighbourhood health models will be implemented.   

“There is a clear focus on the role of GPs, nurses, pharmacists, carers and other health and care professionals. But we must not forget that medical specialists have a vital role to play too. Without input from the right medical specialist at the right time in the right setting, neighbourhood health risks replicating current problems: fragmented services unable to meet the needs of patients holistically, particularly those with long-term conditions and complex needs. This is especially important for patients with long-term conditions or complex needs, who we welcome will be a prioritised group for neighbourhood care.”

In response to the changes to the soft drinks industry levy, RCP special adviser on obesity, Dr Kath McCullough said:

“This is a positive step forward in the fight to prevent obesity. The soft drinks industry levy had already made progress, encouraging industry to reformulate products and reducing people’s average daily intake of sugar. 

“High sugar consumption continues to contribute to the obesity crisis – extending the levy to include milk-based drinks, which are often marketed at children and young people, is extremely welcome. 

“The lowering of the threshold at which sugary drinks are eligible for the levy to 4.5g will also have a demonstrable impact on sugar consumption. 

“The soft drinks industry levy must be part of a wider suite of measures. With 59% of physicians saying that at least half of their average caseload is made up of patients whose conditions have been caused or exacerbated by obesity, we must continue to do everything we possibly can to prevent people developing obesity and overweight in the first place. This means delivering on the obesity commitments in the 10 Year Health Plan, improving education around nutrition, using data more wisely to detect overweight and obesity earlier, addressing aggressive industry marketing and advertising tactics, and tackling inequality more broadly.”