Call for honesty over cuts

  The Government cannot cut its way to increased investment in the NHS and must be more transparent over funding, the BMA is warning. NHS spending increases are being made by making cuts to wider health budgets in moves that will not address the £30bn shortfall expected to face NHS England by 2020, the association says. The analysis is part of a BMA paper on NHS funding and efficiency, which evaluates recent Government commitments to achieve greater investment in healthcare through increased efficiency. BMA council chair Mark Porter (pictured) said that only £8bn out of the £10bn investment in NHS England announced last November by chancellor George Osborne represented new funding — yet most of it was covering cuts elsewhere. He added that the £8bn only amounts to a £4.5bn increase in NHS funding overall because the Government has refined ‘NHS funding’ to mean NHS England’s budget rather than the Department of Health. Meanwhile, cuts are being made to public health, education and training, making this funding commitment possible.   'Rosy rhetoric' Dr Porter said: ‘This BMA report lays bare the mismatch between the rosy political rhetoric and the practical reality of an NHS facing an unprecedented funding crisis. ‘This leaves resources for patient care well below the £8bn demanded by the NHS Five Year Forward View to sustain effective patient care.  There also remains no credible plan as ...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news