The chief executive of the NHS has warned that cancer and mental health care could deteriorate because ministers are not prepared to give the health service extra funding in the forthcoming budget. Under current government plans the NHS budget is due to go up from £123.7bn this year to £124.4bn in 2018-19 – a rise of just 0.58%.
Simon Stevens said that the waiting list for hospital operations could hit 5 million, warned that spending on the NHS is expected to “nosedive” over the next two years. He said Britain should seek to emulate the levels of healthcare investment in countries such as Germany, France and Sweden, which would lead to a £20bn-£30bn rise in the NHS’s budget. The NHS boss added: “Some may say, ‘Aren’t we spending at the European average?’ Well, only if you think that bundling austerity-shrunken Greek and Portuguese health spending should help shape the benchmark for Britain.”
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers said, “He is right to warn that without extra funding there will be consequences for patients, who will have to wait longer and may not get the treatment they should have when they need it. We are all now clear about the importance of the decision that the government faces in the forthcoming budget.”
Simon Stevens said that the waiting list for hospital operations could hit 5 million, warned that spending on the NHS is expected to “nosedive” over the next two years. He said Britain should seek to emulate the levels of healthcare investment in countries such as Germany, France and Sweden, which would lead to a £20bn-£30bn rise in the NHS’s budget. The NHS boss added: “Some may say, ‘Aren’t we spending at the European average?’ Well, only if you think that bundling austerity-shrunken Greek and Portuguese health spending should help shape the benchmark for Britain.”
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers said, “He is right to warn that without extra funding there will be consequences for patients, who will have to wait longer and may not get the treatment they should have when they need it. We are all now clear about the importance of the decision that the government faces in the forthcoming budget.”
Stevens added: “The budget for next year is well short of what’s needed to look after our patients and their families at their time of need.”
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