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Jeremy Hunt misleading voters over NHS budget increase, says thinktank Jeremy Hunt misleading voters over NHS budget increase, says thinktank
(35 minutes later)
Britain’s leading health thinktank has accused Jeremy Hunt of misleading voters by wrongly claiming that the budget increase ministers have given the NHS this year is one of the most generous ever.Britain’s leading health thinktank has accused Jeremy Hunt of misleading voters by wrongly claiming that the budget increase ministers have given the NHS this year is one of the most generous ever.
The King’s Fund has rejected the health secretary’s claim that the NHS is receiving “the sixth biggest increase in its history” as inaccurate and a misrepresentation of the service’s parlous financial position. The King’s Fund has rejected the health secretary’s claim that the NHS is receiving “the sixth-biggest increase in its history” as inaccurate and a misrepresentation of the service’s perilous financial position.
Research by Prof John Appleby, the fund’s chief economist, and Adam Roberts, of the Health Foundation, has found that “this year it is in fact the 28th largest funding increase since 1975/76.”
After analysing the last 41 years of funding data, they found that the “NHS real-spend increase of 1.6% is the 28th largest increase since 1975/76”. After analysing the last 41 years of funding data in their research, Prof John Appleby, the fund’s chief economist, and Adam Roberts, of the Health Foundation, found that the NHS real-spend increase of 1.6% is the 28th-largest increase since 1975-76.
The largest year-on-year increase, of 12%, came in 2002-03, while Tony Blair’s Labour government was in office. Using data obtained from the House of Commons library, the five biggest increases since 1975/76 have all been of at least 9%. Four of those came during Blair’s premiership and the other, of over 10%, in 1980-81, while Margaret Thatcher was in power, they say. The largest year-on-year increase, of 12%, came in 2002-03, while Tony Blair’s Labour government was in office. Using data obtained from the House of Commons library, the five biggest increases since 1975-76 have all been of at least 9%. Four of those came during Blair’s premiership and the other, of more than 10%, in 1980-81, while Margaret Thatcher was in power, they say.
The researchers also said it was impossible to compare this year’s extra money to the period between the NHS’s creation in 1948 and 1975-76 as no reliable data for then existed.The researchers also said it was impossible to compare this year’s extra money to the period between the NHS’s creation in 1948 and 1975-76 as no reliable data for then existed.
In a blog on the King’s Fund website, Appleby and Roberts also dispute ministers’ often-repeated claim to be giving the NHS in England an extra £3.8bn this year. The true amount is only £1.8bn, they say. In a blog on the King’s Fund website, Appleby and Roberts also dispute ministers’ often-repeated claim that they are giving the NHS in England an extra £3.8bn this year. The true amount is only £1.8bn, they say.
Hunt has been making the claim since February. He told MPs at health questions in the Commons on 9 February: “I do think it’s stretching it a bit to call this an austerity driven problem when we’re putting next year the sixth biggest increase in funding for the NHS in its entire 70-year history.” Hunt told MPs in the Commons on 9 February: “I do think it’s stretching it a bit to call this an austerity-driven problem when we’re putting next year the sixth-biggest increase in funding for the NHS in its entire 70-year history.”
He repeated this in an article in the Observer on 27 March and also on the BBC’s Newsnight programme.He repeated this in an article in the Observer on 27 March and also on the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
In a thinly veiled expression of concern about the reliability of Hunt’s claim, the blog authors said: “Getting public spending figures right is important, otherwise they can mislead and detract from the real issues. The fact is that the NHS is halfway through its most austere decade ever, with all NHS services facing huge pressures. Accuracy and transparency about the scale of the problem are crucial steps toward a solution.”In a thinly veiled expression of concern about the reliability of Hunt’s claim, the blog authors said: “Getting public spending figures right is important, otherwise they can mislead and detract from the real issues. The fact is that the NHS is halfway through its most austere decade ever, with all NHS services facing huge pressures. Accuracy and transparency about the scale of the problem are crucial steps toward a solution.”
Labour said of the findings that Hunt had been “caught out”.Labour said of the findings that Hunt had been “caught out”.
Related: The NHS must not be subjected to a slow and painful demise
Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, said: “This analysis exposes the extent to which the health secretary is now willing to mislead the public about the amount of money he is investing in the NHS.Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, said: “This analysis exposes the extent to which the health secretary is now willing to mislead the public about the amount of money he is investing in the NHS.
“He has been caught out. Far from giving the NHS a generous settlement, this proves the Tories are giving the NHS one of its smallest increases in funding in recent history. Jeremy Hunt has been open about the fact that this is his last big job in politics, so you would have thought he would want to get the basics right.”“He has been caught out. Far from giving the NHS a generous settlement, this proves the Tories are giving the NHS one of its smallest increases in funding in recent history. Jeremy Hunt has been open about the fact that this is his last big job in politics, so you would have thought he would want to get the basics right.”
Appleby and Roberts take Hunt to task for his claim that the NHS budget has risen by £3.8bn this year compared to 2014-15. While NHS England’s income may be rising by that amount, the Department of Health’s budget – from which the NHS gets its money – has only gone up by £1.8bn, with other parts of the NHS budget being cut to give NHS England extra funds.Appleby and Roberts take Hunt to task for his claim that the NHS budget has risen by £3.8bn this year compared to 2014-15. While NHS England’s income may be rising by that amount, the Department of Health’s budget – from which the NHS gets its money – has only gone up by £1.8bn, with other parts of the NHS budget being cut to give NHS England extra funds.
In the debate about NHS funding “[we] need to be careful with the distinction between the budget for NHS England (NHSE) and for the Department of Health (DH). The government will often quote the extra £3.8bn for NHSE this year. But as we pointed out [last December] … the correct measure of total NHS spending is the DH budget, which will rise by the lower figure of £1.8bn. They say that in the debate about NHS funding “[we] need to be careful with the distinction between the budget for NHS England (NHSE) and for the Department of Health (DH). The government will often quote the extra £3.8bn for NHSE this year. But as we pointed out [last December] … the correct measure of total NHS spending is the DH budget, which will rise by the lower figure of £1.8bn.
“This includes training of staff, investment in public health, regulation of quality, and national planning and support for providers. These are fundamental aspects of the quality of the NHS as a whole, and there is no logical reason to consider just one part of the NHS budget.”“This includes training of staff, investment in public health, regulation of quality, and national planning and support for providers. These are fundamental aspects of the quality of the NHS as a whole, and there is no logical reason to consider just one part of the NHS budget.”
The Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment. A DH spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to the NHS which is why we are investing £10bn directly into the service, including almost £4 billion upfront this year – and crucially, that is at a time that other government departments are facing significant reductions in their budgets. As this research shows, there are a number of ways of analysing funding and comparing spending across years – our calculation is based on a commonsense methodology.”