If the Budget fails to make the NHS a priority, the Conservatives will deserve to be punished

[Northerner]

There was a fuss in January this year when the Red Cross described the underfunding of the National Health Service as a “humanitarian crisis”. If the Government does not like that phrase, perhaps it will consider the measured comment by Professor Chris Ham of the King’s Fund, the health charity, this week: “In the 40 or more years I have worked with and for the NHS, I can’t remember a time when the government of the day has been so unwilling to act on credible evidence of service and funding pressures.”

In his spring Budget in March, Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, allocated just enough extra money to the NHS to prevent spending per person from falling, taking inflation into account. In his autumn Budget on Wednesday he needs to do much more.

This is what the people want. A BMG opinion poll exclusively for The Independent, which we report today, finds that the health service is far and away the most favoured priority for the Chancellor: 64 per cent name it as one of the top three priorities, twice as many as the next most popular option, tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices...on-conservative-government-tory-a8062711.html

 

[Amigo]

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that if we want a health service fit for present day and the growing demands, a higher proportion of public funds must be ploughed into it but also used properly on front line, operational services.
Some people will happily increase their mobile phone or internet tarif but be less prepared to pay more to protect health services.

 

[mikeyB]

Scotland does spend more per head on health, but even without the expendive add ons like CCGs, and other costly committees here and there, it’s still not enough. I think that suggests that the amount needed to put NHS England right is enormous- they’ve been going the wrong way for years, starting with Gordon Brown and his PFIs to build loads of new hospitals without it showing in the governments books, but crippling the NHS with enormous repayment bills. Still do. Without them, many a health area would be running at a “profit”.