The NHS treats and cares for millions of patients every day. It is a massive, multi-faceted organization made up of a network of different bodies and units. Keeping it functioning correctly is a difficult task that requires a great deal of financial and logistical power.
How can the level of care the NHS provides be raised and improved? For many, the answer is through direct investment and innovation. Let’s find out more.
New Medical Products
The NHS uses a vast range of different goods and products to provide care for patients. Whether it is an MRI machine or a self-retaining retractor, the health service must procure an enormous amount of goods to carry out its duties.
Medical technology is constantly advancing, with new innovative products being developed and rolled out all the time. These products mean that health professionals can treat diseases and conditions with a greater deal of success while also minimizing patient pain and discomfort.
In order to truly improve its level of care, the NHS must constantly be monitoring the market for the latest medical tech and instruments. It must use its procurement process to acquire, trial, and roll out these products to ensure patients are receiving the best possible care.
New Facilities and Services
As with medical products, the NHS must use technology to update and improve its facilities and services. Recently, the NHS pledged more than £2 billion in funding to aid in the modernization of its healthcare facilities.
One practice that we’re beginning to see rolled out is the virtual ward. A virtual ward is a form of remote care where people can be monitored and treated from home as if they were in a hospital ward. This comes with a number of benefits. First, it frees up space in what are already packed hospital wards. It will also improve patient comfort, allowing them to remain in their homes while still being able to access healthcare.
More Staff
The NHS is currently in crisis, with longer waiting times than ever before and bottlenecks at a range of different access points. Understaffing is a key underlying cause of the problems in the NHS, with studies suggesting that NHS England is currently short-staffed by 12,000 doctors and 50,000 nurses.
To improve the level of care, it is absolutely essential that these staffing issues are addressed. The government must be prepared to spend on the NHS, improving training, workplace standards, and salaries to encourage more people to enter the profession. The NHS relies on its staff, and we need to be doing everything we can to retain current medical professionals and train new ones.
Conclusion
The NHS is at a crisis point. The issues impact both the safety of patients and the mental and emotional well-being of its staff. Investment and innovation are the keys. It’s the only way the level of care can be improved and is essential for the long-term survival of the health service.