Lord Darzi calls for action to cut 'long waits' for MSK care – a major cause of long-term sickness

The NHS in England is failing to make the contribution to national prosperity that might be possible if it was ‘repaired’ coherently by the government and received the funds it needs.

That is one of the conclusions put forward by Lord Darzi in a report that was commissioned by the incoming Labour government and published earlier this week (11 September).

In a letter to health secretary Wes Streeting summarising the findings of his review – titled Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England – Lord Darzi pointed out that 2.8 million people were ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness at the beginning of the year.

‘That is an 800,000 increase on pre-pandemic levels … being in work is good for wellbeing. Having more people in work grows the economy and creates more tax receipts to fund public services,’ Lord Darzi stated.

‘There is therefore a virtuous circle if the NHS can help more people back into work. More than half of the current waiting lists for inpatient treatment are working age adults. And there are long waits for mental health and musculoskeletal services, too, which are the biggest causes of long-term sickness.

Lord Darzi added: ‘Improving access to care is a crucial contribution the NHS can make to national prosperity.’