Senedd election 2021: RCoA manifesto for workforce and wellbeing

Published: 03/03/2021

In our 2021 Senedd Election manifesto, the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is calling on the next Welsh government to jump start the pandemic recovery, alongside addressing the systematic barriers preventing delivery of an efficient National Health Service. Our manifesto focuses on recruitment, retention and wellbeing of healthcare staff, reducing the elective surgery backlog, addressing the obesity crisis in Wales and building a sustainable NHS.

During the pandemic, the central role of the anaesthetist in routine and critical care has become more apparent than ever. Anaesthetists across Wales and the rest of the UK have stepped up to support the NHS at its time of greatest need, treating the sickest COVID-19 patients while helping to maintain cancer, maternity, and other urgent and planned services.

With the Senedd election fast approaching, our manifesto lays out the five core themes our Welsh members told us need to be prioritised to improve care for the hundreds of thousands of patients they treat every year.

We call on the next government to:

1. address anaesthetic workforce shortages

  • Commit to a training number expansion and fill the consultant workforce gap.
  • Continue to work with Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) to publish a national anaesthetic workforce strategy.

2. support the health and wellbeing of NHS staff

  • Develop and roll out a package of wellbeing support measures for NHS staff, which prioritises 24-hour rest facilities and occupational health.
  • Continue to support the mental wellbeing of anaesthetists.   

3. place clearing the elective surgery backlog at the heart of its COVID-19 recovery plan

  • Publish a national strategy to tackle the backlog of elective surgery.
  • Create and invest in a new NHS Community Prehabilitation Service to ensure patients are fit and ready for surgery.

4. reduce the NHS’s environmental footprint

  • Work with the RCoA to develop a strategy for reducing the environmental impact of anaesthesia.
  • Build on previous commitments and progress around sustainable procurement by ensuring that all anaesthetic devices are assessed against their environmental cost, as well as their other costs and benefits.

5. prioritise the public’s health by taking action on obesity

  • Review the use of food subsidies and taxes in order to increase the price of junk food and lower the cost of fruit and vegetables.
  • Adopt all the food marketing restrictions set out in ‘Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales’, including a ban on the advertising, sponsorship, and promotion of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt in public spaces.

Dr Abrie Theron, Chair of the Welsh Board, Royal College of Anaesthetists, said:

“Anaesthetists and their NHS colleagues have been front and centre during this pandemic and will be core to the rebuilding of the Welsh healthcare system. Drawing on their experience, our manifesto for Wales sets out a roadmap for tackling the unique challenges facing the Welsh NHS as it continues to respond to and recover from the pandemic. It also presents solutions to some of the more long-standing challenges facing our NHS and the heath of the public that predated COVID.

“Prior to the pandemic the NHS in Wales was already under huge strain, with the largest consultant anaesthetic gap in the United Kingdom1. The future Welsh government must recognise that the success of any recovery will hinge on the right staff, being in the right place, at the right time.

“We need to see a workforce strategy that not only focuses on filling the gaps and planning for future needs, but also tries its hardest to retain the talented and dedicated staff already in the system. Healthcare workers are exhausted and in need of more support, the provision of a wellbeing package is essential to maintaining staff levels, and helping the NHS deliver the best patient-centred care possible.

“Any long-term NHS recovery plan for Wales will also need to take in to account preventative measures. Future-proofing the NHS system through building a healthier population, tackling the significant obesity challenges and decreasing the environmental footprint of the NHS will reduce costs overall. Our elected politicians must similarly be innovative in their efforts to tackle the significant backlog of elective surgery. Looking at the whole health pathway and delivering perioperative2 patient-centred care, including help to prepare for surgery.

“The NHS cannot do more of the same, and it is important that the next government work shoulder to shoulder with those who demonstrate the experience and expertise to tackle the Welsh health crisis. The College will continue to work closely with any new government to improve NHS services for patients and staff. Only by working together will we be able to recover our services and a build a truly sustainable NHS.”

Read our full manifesto here. 

 References:

  1. The RCoA’s Workforce Census (2020) shows that Wales has a ‘real consultant gap’ of 17.8 per cent
  2. Perioperative care is the integrated multidisciplinary care of patients from the moment surgery is contemplated through to full recovery. Good perioperative care should improve patient experience of care, including quality of care and satisfaction with care, improve health of populations, including returning to home/work and quality of life, and reduce the per capita cost of healthcare through improving value. For more information visit: www.cpoc.org.uk