The man in charge of Harrogate District Hospital has disputed claims by the new health secretary that the NHS is ‘broken’.
Speaking earlier this month after Labour swept to power, Wes Streeting criticised the precarious state of the country’s health service and said what was being provided to patients was “not good enough”.
Jonathan Coulter, chief executive of Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust, responded to Mr Streeting’s comments in board papers this week and said he disagreed with his assessment — although he admitted there were areas to improve.
Mr Coulter said:
“The new Secretary of State has also described the NHS as ‘broken’ and in need of repair and reform.
Whilst I understand the assessment at a high level, I would rather describe the NHS as having significant areas to improve within a service whose staff deliver great care and support to the population on a regular basis despite some of the constraints within which they work.”
Mr Coulter also offered an update on how different departments at the Lancaster Park Road hospital are performing.
He said time spent by patients within the emergency department compares favourably with other organisations locally and regionally.
However, he said that on some occasions staff are still struggling to deliver the level of care that patients expect.
Mr Coulter said pressures in the maternity unit have led to some patients being sent to different hospitals which he said was a “symptom” of the standards and levels of staffing required in maternity departments.
He also said there has been an improving picture for cancer diagnosis times, with 80% of patients receiving a diagnosis within 28 days.
Mr Coulter added:
“It is important to emphasise internally that HDFT is a strong organisation and could not in any way be described as ‘broken’.
We know that there are areas we absolutely want to improve, but we also need to recognise the care and support delivered every day to thousands of people in many communities, by our hard-working colleagues.”
Meanwhile, the threat of strike action at the hospital by junior doctors could soon be over as the government and the British Medical Association trade union have agreed to an improved pay deal.
It’s worth 22% on average over two years with members set to take a vote on the offer.
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