Responding to the Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation analysis of NHS waiting times, Patricia Marquis, Executive Director of RCN England, said:
“If you are Black, a woman, or from a deprived area, you are facing longer waits for treatment and potentially worse health outcomes – that is appalling. Whilst the causes of health inequalities are complex, there can be little doubt that increasing levels of poverty, sustained cuts to public health services and an under-resourced NHS are contributing factors.
“Ministers and NHS leaders are right to want to improve society’s health and fix our health service. These new findings show just how urgent that task is. Investment in prevention is desperately needed, as are measures to bolster the nursing workforce which is crucial to keeping people healthy in their communities. We must also see action to tackle inequalities in public services more widely, which we know impact health outcomes.”
Ends
Notes to editors