Waiting lists, crumbling buildings, staff burnout: five years on, COVID is still hurting the financial health of the NHS

By Catia Nicodemo, Professor of Health Economics, Brunel University of London

The NHS was hit hard by COVID. And no amount of appreciative clapping or painted rainbows could distract from the vulnerabilities which were exposed by the pandemic – or the challenges it created.

Some of those challenges – like the staggering backlog in patient care, or the huge mental and physical toll experienced by staff – will take years to overcome.

And anyone compelled to attend a hospital in the UK at the moment can see the evidence at first hand. Wards are very busy and staff are overstretched.

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