A doctor whose social media threat predicting the collapse of the NHS has quit the health service a year later.
The senior consultant gastroenterologist warned in January 2023 that the health care system was on the verge of collapse due to the demand to care rising significant faster than funding levels. A year on, Dr Peter Neville announced that he has left the NHS as he has become “worn out with emergency work” that “uses up so much time it compromises my ability to deliver a decent specialty outpatient service.”
In his 2023 tweet, Dr Neville described himself as a consultant physician who has worked as a doctor in the NHS in Yorkshire and Wales for 32 years. He warned then that the last 15 years have been “relentless”, in a new thread posted to X, formally known as Twitter, earlier this week, Dr Neville, who currently works at Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, said that this year: “Overall morale within the NHS is, if anything, considerably worse.”
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He made the social media thread during one of the busiest weeks for the NHS in Wales. Earlier this week, NHS Wales Chief Executive said that all hospital beds in Wales were full after being put under “extreme pressure” with a huge demand for services. We have heard stories about ambulances waiting outside of hospitals for more than 15 hours and more than 60 patients waiting for a hospital bed after being seen in A&E.
The 16 tweet thread said described how strikes in 2023, and upcoming 2024 strikes reflect the frustration felt by NHS staff. He said: “In 2023 the frustration felt by NHS staff erupted into a series of strikes. Thus far, the nurses strike seems to have been settled. There has not been a mandate for further nursing strikes. For doctors though it’s a completely different matter.” For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here
“Strikes are already planned for 2024 in Wales and England. The junior doctors rightly argue that £15 per hour is not an acceptable pay rate for the enormously hard and demanding work they put in. The Welsh vote was 98% which speaks for itself.
“We are dependent on locum posts. Which cost more and are less consistent. Juniors come and go, chasing short term contracts that give them more control in their lives. The stability of our ward team is now so reduced. We don’t know who will be on the ward each week.”
He continued that it was important to note that junior doctors are not “ideologically driven revolutionaries” and that they just want fair pay. He also detailed that social care is a “big issue” for the NHS, reflecting the fact that many hospital beds are often taken up by people who are fit for discharge, but do not have the appropriate care package in place.
Dr Neville described how “hospital bed states are still hugely compromised by large amounts of patients who need either care packages or placement. They sit and wait. For weeks.”
He continued: “This is a massive political failure. This can only be solved by government. No government seems willing to look at social care. But the absence of social care is killing the NHS. It is a key piece of the jigsaw. And yet no politician is talking about it. It beggars belief.
“10. It is absolutely clear that the politicians have left the room (and I mean both Westminster and devolved governments). They choose to ignore it. We are in the ‘too difficult’ box. And an election is coming. So everything will go into purdah soon and nothing will happen.” Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android
Announcing his departure from the NHS as a result of the ongoing problems, he said: “Personally I’m done. I’m worn out with emergency work, which uses up so much time it compromises my ability to deliver a decent speciality outpatient service. So I am leaving the NHS. I have taken a job outside the UK where I will be only be doing my speciality. With regret.
“But it is no fun working in a system that is failing its patients. And having to take responsibility for this failure again and again. I must emphasise that I have no gripe with my previous employers. They are doing their best in a constrained system.”
Dr Neville did however say he has “no doubt that things will improve” but added that it will take 5-10 years to turn around, however he said: “That is me being optimistic.”
He urged people to “Remember that NHS workers are just people like you. Working hard and trying to do their best under difficult circumstances,” and added: “Try not to use the NHS for trivial stuff, but don’t hesitate to use it for serious issues. It will always be there for you in an emergency. With time.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
