The Effect of the Pandemic on the NHS

[Cover image by '18427938' on Pixabay]

RISHI PARIKH

Over the last two years, it seems as though the term most commonly heard has been ‘COVID-19’. With millions of people affected by the virus, there are many mixed sentiments surrounding this subject. However, most people would agree that the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted healthcare organisations all around the world. Heavier workloads, increasing waiting lists and financial constraints are a few of the many difficulties faced in the past year. The aim of this essay is to understand the effects of COVID-19 on the NHS in order to steer the healthcare industry in a better direction. Otherwise, these issues could generate significant consequences in the coming years and for future generations, as suggested by hospital data and economists. In this research project, we will be taking into account the exponential demand of hospitals, methods of working, diagnosis of mental health problems, and financial support for the NHS. 

Demand for Hospital Services

An increase in the demand for hospital services is one issue encountered from the beginning of the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the NHS already had fewer doctors for its population size (2.8 doctors per 1000 people) [1] compared to other areas such as Europe with an average of 3.9 doctors per 1000 people. With the demand already quite high prior to the pandemic, the surge in hospitalisations has created more unsustainable pressure. Part of this increase in demand includes demand for hospital beds, doctors and nurses, supplies for treatments and safety equipment like personal protective equipment (PPE). 

A knock-on effect of this increase in demand is longer waiting times and postponement of elective surgeries for chronic conditions. As suggested by an article on Harvard Business Review [2], while the postponement of certain surgeries and treatments has been successful in protecting the NHS’s valuable time, it isn't entirely effective as some of these patients may need more intensive care as a result of the postponement. Additionally, in April 2021, the waiting list for elective surgeries grew to 4.5 million (including 730,000 patients [7] who have waited more than 18 weeks) [3], following  a steady increase from 2.5 million from April 2010. As a result of these large numbers, it is likely that there will be more health and financial issues in the future. 

Method of Working in a Hospital Setting

Another change which healthcare organisations have had to go through is to their method of working. One method employed by services like GP surgeries is the concept of telephone consultation. The reason behind this change is to minimise physical contact between doctors and patients, and thus to prevent the spread of the virus. This adaptation has been strongly supported by GPs all across the world and has been successfully implemented. With most GPs considering this style of work as the ‘new norm’, a consultant [4] from an article mentioned, ‘Sadly I think this speaks to the poor state I was in pre-lockdown.’ This suggests that the changes to working methods through the pandemic have benefited doctors. The pandemic has required medics and multidisciplinary teams to swiftly adapt and learn new skills in order to support patient care. Moreover, this new outlook on different strategies with regards to operating GP surgeries has remarkably shifted our understanding on effective approaches to treatment, which may be beneficial for patients in the future.

Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions

However, one problem that comes with this remote communication is the difficulty in diagnosing mental health conditions. This may be particularly difficult in home environments where openness and expression of emotions may be complicated. A survey [5] from the BMJ suggested that getting mental health care was a problem for residents in the UK. In the survey, 32% of UK participants were not able to get help from a professional when they needed it. This is another severe effect of the pandemic which will hopefully improve as education about mental health advances.

Financial Support for the NHS

Another issue we faced in the COVID-19 pandemic was the levels of funding available to the NHS. With the government collecting money from different sources, the funding made available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21 was £63.4 billion, with the total healthcare budget amounting to £212.1 billion in this time period. This was a significant increase from previous years, e.g. the total budget in 2019/20 was £150.4 billion [6]. This extra funding was used for PPE, improving discharge processes for hospitals and developing the Test and Trace programme. While recovering this money will be difficult, the funding has proved to be essential to reduce the spread of the virus. As the pandemic continues, it is likely that this funding will need to further increase, which could result in more pressures on the government and taxpayers. 

Community Spirit & Public Appreciation

On the other hand, we must acknowledge that the additional stresses, strains and pressures the pandemic has generated have also augmented community spirit (evidenced by volunteers e.g. at testing centres and charities, or Sir Thomas Moore's walking challenge), improved the efficiency of teams of doctors and nurses in hospitals and solicited more public appreciation for NHS staff (e.g. clap for carers). Of course the significant advances in telemedicine will be of great benefit in the future.

In conclusion, the pandemic has affected healthcare organisations notably through more economic pressure, patient-related stress and uncertainty. While the research has been able to evaluate the general effects and trends of the pandemic, more research towards these outcomes would be required for more accurate and effective improvements in the future. Overall the NHS has been successful in providing critical care and supporting patients through the chaotic and unpredictable journey that contracting COVID-19 represents. The heroic help from all frontline staff is much appreciated and will not go unnoticed, especially as the battle against COVID-19 continues.

Bibliography:

[Date of Access 21/04/21] Propper, C., Stoye, G. & Zaranko, B., 2020. The Wider Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the NHS*. Wiley Online Library. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1475-5890.12227#:~:text=

The immediate impact of the,in particular, intensive care facilities.

[Date of Access 21/04/21] Anon, 2021. How Hospitals Can Manage Supply Shortages as Demand Surges. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-hospitals-can-manage-supply-shortages-as-demand-surges

[Date of Access 22/04/21] Anon, NHS performance and waiting times. The Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.health.org.uk/publications/long-reads/nhs-performance-and-waiting-times

[Date of Access 22/04/21] Patterson, C., 2020. A new normal? Doctors' lives post COVID-19. The British Medical Association is the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK. Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/a-new-normal-doctors-lives-post-covid-19

[Date of Access 23/04/21] Tanne, J.H., 2020. Covid-19: Mental health and economic problems are worse in the US than in other rich nations. The BMJ. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3110

[Date of Access 23/04/21] Anon, 2021. The NHS budget and how it has changed. The King's Fund. Available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/nhs-budget#:~:text=Current%20funding&text=Planned%20spending%20for%20the%20Department,150.4%20billion%20in%202019%2F20.&text=Most%20of%20the%20Department's%20core,as%20staff%20salaries%20and%20medicines

[Date of Access 23/04/21] Anon, Shock to the system: COVID-19's long-term impact on the NHS. The Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/shock-to-the-system-covid-19s-long-term-impact-on-the-nhs