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NHS needs more money, say senior Tory and Lib Dem MPs NHS needs more money, say senior Tory and Lib Dem MPs
(about 1 hour later)
The NHS needs more money to avoid a funding crisis, senior Conservative and Lib Dem MPs have warned.The NHS needs more money to avoid a funding crisis, senior Conservative and Lib Dem MPs have warned.
Sarah Wollaston, Conservative chair of the Commons health select committee, said the NHS was facing "crunch time".Sarah Wollaston, Conservative chair of the Commons health select committee, said the NHS was facing "crunch time".
Her comments were echoed by Lib Dem former health minister Paul Burstow who warned the NHS could collapse within five years without extra money.Her comments were echoed by Lib Dem former health minister Paul Burstow who warned the NHS could collapse within five years without extra money.
The Department of Health said it was confident of making £20bn in savings to reinvest in frontline care.The Department of Health said it was confident of making £20bn in savings to reinvest in frontline care.
Mr Burstow put the level of extra funding needed for the NHS to function properly at £15bn over five years.Mr Burstow put the level of extra funding needed for the NHS to function properly at £15bn over five years.
Ageing populationAgeing population
Dr Wollaston told the BBC the NHS was "coping remarkably well" but that future funding was "under immense pressure".Dr Wollaston told the BBC the NHS was "coping remarkably well" but that future funding was "under immense pressure".
She said: "We have protected spending on health. It is rising in line - just above - background inflation, but inflation in the health sector is much higher because we have got an ageing population.She said: "We have protected spending on health. It is rising in line - just above - background inflation, but inflation in the health sector is much higher because we have got an ageing population.
"So many more people are living with several long-term conditions and of course we have got amazing advances in technology and we need to be able to fund all those things.""So many more people are living with several long-term conditions and of course we have got amazing advances in technology and we need to be able to fund all those things."
Dr Wollaston said the service was not "doomed to failure" but added: "We know that over the next few years, we are going to run into a real crunch time with funding and what's necessary now is for NHS England to set out very clearly what can be achieved within various funding limits.Dr Wollaston said the service was not "doomed to failure" but added: "We know that over the next few years, we are going to run into a real crunch time with funding and what's necessary now is for NHS England to set out very clearly what can be achieved within various funding limits.
"In other words - are we going to be able to increase funding, or will something have to give?""In other words - are we going to be able to increase funding, or will something have to give?"
She added: "Personally, I'd like to see services continue to improve, so I think in order to achieve that we are going to need an increase in funding."She added: "Personally, I'd like to see services continue to improve, so I think in order to achieve that we are going to need an increase in funding."
Dr Wollaston said it would be "key" to "get the best value out of the resources we have" over the coming years.Dr Wollaston said it would be "key" to "get the best value out of the resources we have" over the coming years.
'Rising demand''Rising demand'
Stephen Dorrell, also a Conservative and her predecessor as chair of the health select committee, said he would be ashamed if the government failed to increase NHS funding when the economy was growing.Stephen Dorrell, also a Conservative and her predecessor as chair of the health select committee, said he would be ashamed if the government failed to increase NHS funding when the economy was growing.
"I am in favour of the government not denying what 5,000 years of history tells us is true, which is that every time a society gets richer it spends a rising share of its income on looking after the sick and the vulnerable," he told The Observer."I am in favour of the government not denying what 5,000 years of history tells us is true, which is that every time a society gets richer it spends a rising share of its income on looking after the sick and the vulnerable," he told The Observer.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We've taken tough decisions to protect the NHS budget, which is allowing us to strengthen family doctoring, reform out of hospital care, and improve GP access for 7.5 million people across the country.A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We've taken tough decisions to protect the NHS budget, which is allowing us to strengthen family doctoring, reform out of hospital care, and improve GP access for 7.5 million people across the country.
"The NHS is also on track to make £20bn [in] savings this parliament to reinvest into frontline care and we are confident that it will continue to make the savings necessary to meet rising demand.""The NHS is also on track to make £20bn [in] savings this parliament to reinvest into frontline care and we are confident that it will continue to make the savings necessary to meet rising demand."
The MPs' comments on funding came as the health secretary spoke of plans to publicly name GPs with a poor record in spotting signs of cancer.The MPs' comments on funding came as the health secretary spoke of plans to publicly name GPs with a poor record in spotting signs of cancer.
Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to expose doctors whose failure to spot cancer may delay patients receiving potentially life-saving scans.Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to expose doctors whose failure to spot cancer may delay patients receiving potentially life-saving scans.
The Royal College of GPs said it would be a "crude" system and one that could lead to GPs sending people to specialists indiscriminately. It warned this could result in flooding hospitals with healthy people.
Ranking GP surgeries on how quickly they spot cases of cancer and refer patients for treatment is among proposals being considered.
The information could eventually be published on the NHS website.
This follows a survey for the NHS last year, which suggested that more than a quarter of people eventually diagnosed with cancer had seen their GP at least three times before being sent to a specialist.
"We need to do much better," Mr Hunt told the Mail on Sunday.
"Cancer diagnosis levels around the country vary significantly and we must do much more to improve both the level of diagnosis and to bring those GP practices with poor referral rates up to the standards of the best."
Doctors found to be missing too many cases of cancer or with patients who are forced to make repeated visits before being referred for tests would be marked with a red flag. Those found with quick referral times for patients would be given a green rating.Doctors found to be missing too many cases of cancer or with patients who are forced to make repeated visits before being referred for tests would be marked with a red flag. Those found with quick referral times for patients would be given a green rating.
A patient's story The Royal College of GPs said it would be a "crude" system and one that could lead to GPs sending people to specialists indiscriminately. It warned this could result in flooding hospitals with healthy people.
Susan has a sister with terminal cancer.
She told the BBC: "My sister was first told she had a prolapsed womb, then piles.
"By the time she was seen by an oncologist, eight months had elapsed.
"She has terminal squamous cell anal cancer - completely curable if caught early enough.
"She is 62, and now has a few months to live.
"One of the classic mistakes the GP made was to diagnose anal bleeding as piles. It wasn't - it was the tumour.
"This doctor has condemned my sister to a year, so far, of terrible suffering and a death which is too dreadful to contemplate, when she could have been completely cured.
"Prognosis is something like 96% complete cure if treated early."
Susan believes her sister's GP should be "named and shamed" but thinks each case should be considered on an individual basis.
"As a retired teacher, I know what being continually maligned, judged, overlooked and overloaded can do to morale and performance," she added.
Shadow health minister Jamie Reed said: "David Cameron wasted billions on a re-organisation nobody wanted and left cancer patients waiting longer for tests and treatment. He should be ashamed of his own record - not attacking doctors."
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association general practitioners committee, said to name and shame doctors would not help patients.
"We need to look at the whole system and if you simply name and shame GPs, the tendency would be for us to refer everyone," he told the BBC.
"And that can be a disadvantage because if we clog up hospital outpatient clinics, we'll get patients who need to see their specialist actually having to wait longer."