Key funding facts
Funding rises lowest since 1950s
The government’s spending on the NHS rose at 0.9% a year in real terms between 2010-15, Similarly small rises are planned to last at least until 2020/21. In contrast, since the NHS was created in 1948 average real term increases have been 3.7% per year and the average increase between 2001/02 and 2004/05 was 8.6% per year.
Hidden cuts to health budgets
Health Economist Anita Charlesworth has pointed out that the government has not increased all parts of the health budget. Some areas will experience large cuts. Junior doctor training, health visiting, sexual health and vaccinations will all face a real terms reduction of 20% by 2020/21. She said after the Chancellor's Autumn statement, "Make no mistake, these are cuts to front-line NHS services and will directly impact on patient care."
NHS debts guide health policy - not patient need
In January 2016 the government began a major top-down reorganisation of the NHS in England that has gone relatively unnoticed, but which is poised to make it far easier for the government to control NHS spending and make cuts to services. The reorganisation reverses previous moves in the NHS to focus on local decision making via clinical commissioning groups.
NHS spending low by international standards
For years the NHS has lagged behind the averages in the EU and OECD countries. The NHS provides comprehensive healthcare to the whole population and yet overall health spending is far lower than in many comparable countries.
Growing debts and "no plan"
The past two years have seen the NHS provider sector (NHS trusts and foundation trusts) struggling to cope with increased demand, due to a growing and ageing population, plus rising costs.
NHS needs at least £22bn more by 2021 to fill "blackhole"
The past two years have seen the NHS provider sector (NHS trusts and foundation trusts) struggling to cope with increased demand, due to a growing and ageing population, plus rising costs.
funding is not keeping up with patients needs
Training is very important in the NHS; the NHS needs to train new staff and it needs to keep its current staff up-to-date with changes in practice and innovations in healthcare.
Countries that spend more have more beds and staff
A delay to a patient’s treatment can be due to various reasons, some are obvious, such as too few staff leading to a long wait in A&E or lack of equipment resulting in a delay to carry out a procedure or treatment.
NHS still wasting millions on the costs of PFI and marketisation
NHS still wasting millions on the costs of PFI and marketisation