Press Release: It is important to remember that the NHS also faces challenges in the Winter of 2022

The incoming Truss government faces an unprecedented number of challenges. The spiralling cost of living and inflation, out-control-energy bills, strike action across industries, Brexit, immigration, the war in Ukraine and climate change, are just some of the issues which urgently need resolving.

Any one of these emergencies would prove to be a daunting prospect for any incoming administration. Together, they may prove to be insurmountable. 20/20health looks forward to hearing how the government aims to tackle these problems in the coming days as more than one of these issues directly effects the health and social well-being of society.

But the challenges facing the NHS are just as daunting. Therese Coffey, the newly appointed Health Secretary, must deal with pay disputes with doctors and nurses, escalating waiting times in emergency rooms and operations, low staffing records, the seasonal winter flu concerns and on-going COVID concerns and the £36bn required for funding the COVID backlog.

An opponent of bureaucratic red tape, Liz Truss has promised that her new administration will “hit the ground running” in its efforts to tackle these problems, where the signs for the NHS could be encouraging. Having pledged to “empower the frontline,” healthcare provision in England and Wales could see more doctor/nurse led initiatives as the new government sets out its agenda in returning to a less bureaucratic health service.

The coming days will be key in demonstrating how the government intends to manage the NHS.

2020health consultant, Michael Ilsemann, said:

It is easy to forget amongst all the problems facing Liz Truss, that the NHS also faces its own crises in the coming months. We live in challenging times, where many of the causes of these problems are beyond the control of the UK government.

The new prime minister’s commitment to giving greater powers to doctors is to be encouraged, but it is important that the government realises that it cannot take front line workers for granted. The issues surrounding pay and staffing levels need to be resolved urgently, otherwise, this could exacerbate what is already be a challenging six months for healthcare provision in this country.