The economic downturn is already having a significant and haphazard impact on NHS services, despite government reassurances that frontline services will be protected.
A BMA survey of its local negotiating committees reveals widespread plans for redundancies, recruitment freezes and service cutbacks.
Nearly three quarters of the 92 LNC chairs who responded said clinical services or infrastructure developments were being postponed for financial reasons. Two in five said that access to treatments or therapies were being limited.
Nearly two thirds of respondents said that there was a freeze on recruitment, with the overwhelming majority saying it covered clinical posts.
A quarter said there were redundancies planned in their trusts.
While the government has guaranteed growth in spending, in real terms, on the NHS, it’s also under pressure to make efficiencies of up to £20bn over the next four years.
Dr Hamish Meldrum, chair of BMA council, said: “There may be areas where there is a genuine need to examine ways of working and services being offered to ensure they are delivered in the most cost-effective manner. But all too often we see blanket bans, indiscriminate cost-cutting and decisions seemingly taken for political and financial expediency rather than because of good clinical evidence.
“Patients, local populations and health professionals should be actively involved in decision-making processes involving change and there should be genuine devolution of decision –making to the local level. We urge the government and NHS organisations to focus on those areas where they can truly eliminate waste.”
Nearly half of responding LNCs were being consulted on cost and efficiency savings. The amount of savings being sought averaged 6%.
Meldrum added that the survey’s findings, which were launched at the start of the BMA’s Annual Representatives Meeting, also suggested that consultants’ SPAs are being squeezed.
