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IHPN responds to new RCS report on tackling the NHS elective care backlog

Welcoming today’s report from the Royal College of Surgeons to help cut NHS waiting times for surgery, David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

“As the Royal College of Surgeons have rightly said, with NHS waiting lists at a record 5 million, tackling the backlog of NHS treatment needs to be an urgent priority for the Government, with a clear plan put in place to make sure patients can access the care they need.

“Given the scale of the challenge, it’s vital that an “all shoulders to the wheel” approach is taken to tackling the elective care backlog. This must include a clear and sustained role for independent providers who in the last year have delivered over 3.2 million NHS treatments and are committed to helping the NHS to bring down waiting times.”