The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) has welcomed the publishing of the results of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee inquiry on managing NHS backlogs and waiting times.
The published report includes evidence and recommendations submitted by the IBMS. The Public Accounts Committee inquiry centred on the NHS in England that was running at close to maximum capacity before COVID-19, and the subsequent disruption caused by the pandemic that resulted in a sharp increase in waiting times and backlogs.
IBMS Chief Executive David Wells stated: "We welcome this timely report which highlights the urgent need to address the elective care backlog, particularly around cancer diagnosis and treatment. It is pleasing to see that the issues we raised are central to the report's recommendations. Meeting diagnostic and treatment capacity will depend on the recruitment and retention of staff across the health service. That’s why greater investment in the workforce and targeted training will ensure that the right number of staff with the right skills are in the right places. This will be key to the delivery of an agile and resilient NHS with patients at its heart.
“The biomedical science workforce is uniquely positioned to support medical colleagues to help meet the demands of the elective care backlog and wholly support the report’s recommendations to develop a deeper understanding of labour market requirements that support short, medium and long-term planning."
Read the report in full at - https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubacc/729/report.html