NHS Confederation: Financial pressures placing services at risk

Healthcare leaders are becoming increasingly concerned that financial constraints upon the sector are going to cause damage to the quality of care, according to the NHS Confederation.

A survey of NHS chiefs conducted by the confederation has revealed a perception that the tight financial position and the distracting nature of incoming reforms are having a growing impact on patients.

Mike Farrar, chief executive of the organisation, added that politicians have also failed to win public support for the significant changes to the NHS that are needed to avert this.

He therefore called on those within the sector to unite in calling for government support to take the necessary steps.

Mr Farrar said: "The NHS looks like a supertanker heading for an iceberg. The danger is clearly in view and looming ever larger … But are we going to be able to take the assertive action needed in time?"

This comes after a recent report from The King's Fund revealed that public satisfaction with the NHS experienced its largest ever decline between 2010 and 2011.