Commenting on NHS England and NHS Improvement's 2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said:

"We welcome the pragmatic approach in the planning guidance, resetting priorities while signalling that these will need to be kept under review.

"The scope and scale of these actions highlights the formidable array of challenges facing the NHS.

"These include the impact of Omicron and the booster vaccination programme against a background of unprecedented demand for urgent and emergency care and the need to address the treatment backlog in hospitals, community and mental health services, and the need for urgent capital investment.

All of the priorities in the guidance are important, and we particularly welcome the prominence given to growing, adapting and focusing on the wellbeing of the workforce.

"All of the priorities in the guidance are important, and we particularly welcome the prominence given to growing, adapting and focusing on the wellbeing of the workforce.

"Eight of the 10 priorities in this programme won't be fully possible without addressing the first – securing a properly costed and funded workforce plan is fundamental to the future success of the NHS.

"Trusts tell us that workforce capacity is the constraining factor in the health and care system at the moment underpinned by a lack of national long term plan, challenges with recruitment and rising staff absences connected with COVID-19.

"While recognising the fundamental importance of elective recovery, this cannot be accomplished without stabilising the situation in urgent and emergency care, primary care and social care and addressing growing demand and a backlog of care in community and mental health services.

"Quality of care and patient safety need to remain the key cornerstones for the NHS. For example we have seen a worrying shift in patient safety risk towards ambulance services, particularly as a result of handover delays.

"The NHS also needs to transform to meet future needs – taking much greater advantage of digital technology and the leap forward offered by 21st century genomic based medicine.

We also need to do much more to help citizens manage their own health and wellbeing more effectively, with greater focus on tackling health inequalities, prevention and whole population health management.

"We also need to do much more to help citizens manage their own health and wellbeing more effectively, with greater focus on tackling health inequalities, prevention and whole population health management.

"Key to delivery of these changes will be the development of system working and integrated care systems (ICSs) enshrined in forthcoming legislation.

"While some trusts will be disappointed to hear of the delay in placing ICSs on a statutory footing, many will also see it as a pragmatic response to potential delays.

"Trusts need to be at the forefront of this transformational change, which offers huge opportunities to improve services for patients and communities, and it will be important to keep sight of these opportunities, alongside the massive challenge of dealing with immediate operational pressures."