The NHS has long been viewed as a symbol of accessible healthcare. However, while demand has increased, budgets have not.
I sat down with Isha Hussain, an advanced clinical practitioner at Hillside Bridge Health Care Centre, Bradford, to interview her on NHS waiting lists, managing patient expectations, and the necessary changes she’d like to see to the system going forward.
Isha mentioned her surgery had faced issues booking patients in, saying, “It is taking up quite a significant amount of admin time chasing up referrals.” Patients who aren’t seen instead opt to go to Accident and Emergency, which she says clogs up their services over there.
Inside the surgery itself, the number of patients waiting to be seen by a practitioner quickly built up, and by the time I left, almost every seat was occupied. “I can’t see it, no,” Isha said, grimacing, as she remarked on whether there was a future in which NHS staffing levels would be improved. Full interview below.