The NHS is becoming increasingly concerned about the government’s messaging, which some senior sources have described as “broken”, according to the BBC. These sources believe that some of the claims by ministers may deter patients or damage staff morale. Health Secretary Wes Streeting declared the NHS “broken” on his appointment while others within government have continued the theme. Recent claims have included that cancer patients face a “death sentence” due to NHS failings and that maternity services are a “national shame”.
Some hospital leaders have warned privately that prolonged negative messaging could spook patients: similar concerns have been expressed within NHS England. However, officials have not yet detected any significant negative shift in patient attendance since the government began using language that has concerned some NHS staff. Cancer Research UK, which pointed out that one in two people diagnosed with the disease drive on to survive for at least 10 years, was among those to criticise the government’s use of the phrase “death sentence”.
The Care Quality Commission recently condemned two-thirds of maternity units as inadequate, leading Streeting to describe them as a “national shame”. There has been criticism of government messaging from within the NHS, while Thea Stein, chief executive of health thinktank the Nuffield Trust, has argued that while such openness is important, the phrase “broken” is counterproductive, leading people to believe the NHS should be “thrown away” entirely
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