Unclear whether new targets are an improvement: Nuffield Trust response to access report

Responding to the progress report for the clinically-led review of NHS access standards, Professor John Appleby, Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust said:

“We agree with Professor Steve Powis that it really is too early to tell whether these new targets might be an improvement.

“From the initial analysis of A&E data, it remains unclear which people have won or lost out under this new regime. We really need to know this to decide whether longer waits for some are a price worth paying. Although new targets are likely to benefit some patients, so far many have been left to wait longer.

“Therefore it’s still uncertain whether these results truly deliver what this review was looking for – to ‘lock in short waits’. We are absolutely supportive of the idea of rigorously testing new targets, but NHS England need to make it clear what success would look like.”