Professor Colton: NHS waiting list cuts show progress but long-term leadership needed

This week the Government announced that the NHS’s Further Faster 20 (FF20) programme has significantly reduced treatment backlogs and improved productivity in 20 hospital trusts across England. 

The FF20 programme brings together hospital trust clinicians and operational teams to encourage them to work more effectively to transform patient pathways. The initiative used specialist teams deployed in areas with high economic inactivity, and has significantly reduced treatment backlogs and improved productivity. The announcement highlights thousands of patients have benefitted from the programme due to reduced waiting times. 

Given Professor Colton’s expertise in developing teaching programmes to train the next generation in healthcare leadership and system transformation, this initiative has been one to watch. Especially as UCL Global Business School for Health provides the academic rigour to transform frontline patient care, focusing on strengthening leadership and management, redesigning health systems, and supporting technology adoption in the health sector.

Professor Nora Colton said:

“Tackling NHS waiting times in deprived areas won’t just affect individual health, it will have a significant impact on economic participation and productivity. But reducing waiting lists is only part of the solution. Meaningful progress depends on sustained investment in the healthcare workforce in these areas, and specifically in supporting the leaders and staff who are working long-term to serve these communities.

“Sending in ‘crack teams of experts’ has provided a short-term boost to struggling NHS teams, but long-term improvements hinge on developing and improving local NHS leadership teams, and that requires sustained investment.”

Read the full government announcement: here.