10 evidence based reasons for sustained rises in NHS funding –
- More than expected, but half the sum needed, the Autumn rise in NHS funding (£3.3bn) was well short of the £7bn sum that NHS England said was necessary to cope with inflation, energy and other costs for the period up and until 2024/25.
- “in real terms, core day-to-day spending on the NHS will rise by 2% a year by 2024/25, while capital spending will grow by just 0.2%”. This figure falls well short of the 3.6% average annual rises given to the NHS since its launch in 1948 according to a recent Health Foundation analysis.
- How much sustained funding is needed? Compelling evidence supports funding rises of 3-4% over the next decade. Back in 2018 the Institute of Financial Studies calculated that the NHS will need an extra 3.3% in funding a year for the next 15 years just to keep pace with cost pressures such as the rising numbers of older people and those living with chronic disease, but this figure takes no account extra costs from the pandemic or the impact of higher than expected prices.
Full article in The Lowdown, 27 February 2023