George Osborne made hundreds of millions of pounds in “secret cuts” to the NHS in his Budget, according to the small print of his Budget document.
Research compiled by the Liberal Democrats suggests £650 million was taken out of the health service by changes to public sector pensions that leave employers fielding extra costs. One of these employers is the National Health Service, the largest public employer in the country – meaning less cash will be available to spend on front line services once the new costs are met.
The Chancellor announced that he would change the so-called “discount rate” for the pensions, meaning central government will pay less but front line employers will pay more. BBC News reports that a total of £1 billion is likely to be taken from health and education combined by the changes.
Full story at The Independent 18 March 2016