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Health ministers refuse to commit to £8bn funding sought in NHS report Health ministers refuse to commit to £8bn funding sought in NHS report
(about 2 hours later)
Health ministers from all three main Westminster parties yesterday have refused to give a commitment to find an extra £8bn funding sought by the chief executive of NHS England in a major report looking at the looming cost pressures facing the NHS in the next five years. Health ministers from all three main Westminster parties have refused to commit to an extra £8bn funding sought by the chief executive of NHS England in a report looking at the looming cost pressures facing the NHS in the next five years.
The political class all embraced the report’s principles, often arguing it endorsed their existing political positions, but they all shied away from a commitment to £8bn. They embraced the report’s principles, often arguing it endorsed their existing political positions, but they all shied away from a commitment to the extra cash above inflation over the next parliament.
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health minister, said: “There needs to be a fundamental review of funding for the NHS. He said it should start next year on an all-party basis so there was a national discussion about some of the big choices we have to make. We have to meet that gap one way or another.” NHS boss Simon Stevens outlined the need for the additional money in a far reaching report that called for radical changes, including GP surgeries offering many of the services currently confined to hospitals.
Andy Burnham, the shadow health minister, said he could not at this stage commit to £8bn, but said Labour’s £2.5bn Time to Care fund allied to his plans fully to integrate health and social care would get the party on the way to the £8bn. Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health minister, said: “There needs to be a fundamental review of funding for the NHS,” adding that it needed to start next year on an all-party basis. “We have to meet that gap one way or another.”
He cited figures by Monitor suggesting full integration would save £4-6bn, saying “this gets you a significant amount of the way that Simon Stevens has identified”. He added the government had been wrong to reject the advice from the nurses and midwives pay review body recommending a 1% pay rise. Andy Burnham, shadow health secretary, said he could not at this stage commit to £8bn. But he said Labour’s £2.5bn Time to Care fund – paid for by a mansion tax and a levy on tobacco firms – allied to his plans fully to integrate health and social care would get the party on the way to the £8bn.
He cited figures by Monitor suggesting full integration of health and social care would save £4bn-£6bn, saying “this gets you a significant amount of the way that Simon Stevens has identified”. He added the government had been wrong to reject the advice from the nurses and midwives pay review body recommending a 1% pay rise.
He said these new revenues meant Labour would not have to cut other department budgets or increase borrowing.He said these new revenues meant Labour would not have to cut other department budgets or increase borrowing.
George Freeman, the minister for life sciences, said in government “we have put £12bn extra in this parliament” adding that David Cameron at the Conservative party conference “had agreed not just to ring fence NHS expenditure but increase it in real terms”. George Freeman, the minister for life sciences, said in government “we have put £12bn extra in this parliament” adding that David Cameron at the Conservative party conference “had agreed not just to ringfence NHS expenditure but increase it in real terms”.
He said: “What this report invites us to do is to think more profoundly about how we evolve and change healthcare. The central way to fund the NHS is to have a strong economy.”He said: “What this report invites us to do is to think more profoundly about how we evolve and change healthcare. The central way to fund the NHS is to have a strong economy.”
Bruce Keogh, the NHS England medical director said unless the savings are made and unless the NHS gets the appropriate support both financially and politically “there is a risk that services will have to change, may be cut, there will be shortages of staff and there will be issues with waiting times, and there is a risk that we will have to restrict treatments.” Bruce Keogh, the NHS England medical director said unless the savings are made and unless the NHS gets the appropriate support both financially and politically “there is a risk that services will have to change, may be cut, there will be shortages of staff and there will be issues with waiting times, and there is a risk that we will have to restrict treatments”.
Earlier, rival politicians rushed to claim ownership of the Stevens report . A plea thatfor politicians do not to turn debate about the future of the NHS into a matter of political controversy collapsedwas ignored on ThursdayEarlier, as rival politicians rushed to claim ownership of the Stevens report .
Making a statement to the Commons at the request of Labour, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the report was an excellent blueprint on which all parties could largely agree, before adding it exposed “Labour’s plans for the NHS as shallow party politicking”.Making a statement to the Commons at the request of Labour, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the report was an excellent blueprint on which all parties could largely agree, before adding it exposed “Labour’s plans for the NHS as shallow party politicking”.
He accused Burnham, of “Houdini-like spin” in claiming the report showed the NHS was on the brink of collapse. Hunt said the report argued the “NHS has been remarkably successful in weathering the pressures of recent years”, adding it “made no mention of competition and privatisation being a threat to the NHS”, a claim often made by Burnham.He accused Burnham, of “Houdini-like spin” in claiming the report showed the NHS was on the brink of collapse. Hunt said the report argued the “NHS has been remarkably successful in weathering the pressures of recent years”, adding it “made no mention of competition and privatisation being a threat to the NHS”, a claim often made by Burnham.
He added that Stevens’ report “begs Burnham not to make big structural changes to the NHS or call for a repeal of the Health and Social Care Act”, and said it calls for real-terms annual increases to the NHS along the lines the coalition government had been making in this parliament. He said the big message of the report was agreed between the parties – the need for integration of health and social care, improving investment in primary care, more GPs and more care closer to home. He added that Stevens’ report “begs Burnham not to make big structural changes to the NHS or call for a repeal of the Health and Social Care Act”, and said it calls for real-terms annual budget increases to the NHS along the lines the coalition government had been making in this parliament. He said the big message of the report was agreed between the parties – the need for integration of health and social care, improving investment in primary care, more GPs and more care closer to home.
Hunt claimed the public want a more measured and sensible debate, and this would be helped if the parties spoke more often about the issues in the heath service on which they agree, “rather than constantly pretending there are vast disagreements”.Hunt claimed the public want a more measured and sensible debate, and this would be helped if the parties spoke more often about the issues in the heath service on which they agree, “rather than constantly pretending there are vast disagreements”.
But Labour, determined to make the NHS a central issue in the general election, said the report was an endorsement of the agenda developed by Burnham, who said it showed GP services had been under-resourced and that Labour had found funds for an extra 8,000 GPs by 2020. Labour, determined to make the NHS a central issue in the general election, said the report was an endorsement of the agenda developed by Burnham, who said it showed GP services had been under-resourced and that Labour had found funds for an extra 8,000 GPs by 2020.
Burnham said the prime minister had only on Wednesday rejected Labour’s call for one-week cancer tests even though the report calls for faster cancer diagnosis. He said the report supported Labour plans for the integration of health and social care, and endorsed radical action to tackle obesity, beyond the government’s voluntary deals with the food industry.Burnham said the prime minister had only on Wednesday rejected Labour’s call for one-week cancer tests even though the report calls for faster cancer diagnosis. He said the report supported Labour plans for the integration of health and social care, and endorsed radical action to tackle obesity, beyond the government’s voluntary deals with the food industry.
He said the report could not be clearer on funding: “Simply protecting the NHS budget in the next parliament as the Conservatives propose will not prevent it tipping into a full-blown crisis”. He said the report could not be clearer on funding: “Simply protecting the NHS budget in the next parliament as the Conservatives propose will not prevent it tipping into a full-blown crisis.”
Burnham cited the Conservative chair of the health select committee Sarah Wollaston who had warned on BBC Newsnight that “current Tory funding plans raise the spectre of rationing longer waits and charges”. HeBurnham cited the Conservative chair of the health select committee Sarah Wollaston who had warned on BBC Newsnight that “current Tory funding plans raise the spectre of rationing longer waits and charges”.
Paul Burstow, a former Liberal Democrat health minister, said it was important the report did not turn into a political football, saying there were many references in the report to mental health, and urged the government to do more on perinatal mental health.Paul Burstow, a former Liberal Democrat health minister, said it was important the report did not turn into a political football, saying there were many references in the report to mental health, and urged the government to do more on perinatal mental health.