Making space in the NHS

Dr Ivan Cohen, Associate Professor in Finance and Economics at Richmond, has just had an article published in the April issue of the British Journal of Healthcare Management.
 
In ‘Making space in the NHS’, he outlines the impact of COVID-19 on the NHS:

“As was the case during other epidemics and pandemics in history, this rapidly-spreading virus caused a surge in demand for medical services…With the pandemic compounding a long-term need for increased capacity in healthcare, the importance of innovative thinking has never been greater. Indeed, the pandemic has arguably highlighted a lack of long-term, sustainable planning and funding for the NHS, particularly in terms of staffing, equipment and estates.”

Dr Cohen then reviews a range of potential options to resolve these issues and concludes:

“Although the challenge is of a considerable scale, there are a number of options for NHS trusts when it comes to increasing the capacity of their estates. However, for any such project to be truly successful, the expansion of physical space must be met with sustainable funding and adequate staffing.”