Budget must acknowledge NHS recovery challenge

NHS Providers says that much of the funding increase outlined for the NHS risks being swallowed up by efforts to recover performance after almost a decade of austerity.

The organisations says that although the 3.4 per cent real terms funding increase by the Prime Minister is very welcome, the continuing gap between growing demand and funding levels over the last nine years has left services catching up against key targets.

NHS Providers says that as demand has now outpaced funding levels for almost a decade of austerity, filling the gaps in performance that have opened up in the health service will account for much if not most of the new money. Furthermore, the organisation highlights that the supply of key skills has not kept pace with rising demand for services, safe staffing requirements or the growth of inpatients with more complex care needs as a result of our ageing population. Plus, Brexit continues to bring uncertainty to the NHS with workforce numbers as well as the supply of key services and supplies including medicines, equipment, fuel and food.

Therefore, NHS Providers is urging Chancellor Philip Hammond to commit funding to develop the existing workforce through education and training and set aside adequate funding to employ the growing number of staff the NHS will need over the coming years, as well as to use the Budget to ensure that the social care sector is put on a sustainable footing.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “As this long-term plan is drawn up for the NHS, we have to be realistic about what can be delivered amongst competing priorities for this funding. After almost a decade of austerity in which growing demand has outstripped funding increases significant gaps against key performance targets have opened up. We must be honest about the time and investment it will take to recover this performance and the impact that will have on other commitments. We hope the chancellor acknowledges this.

“The challenge of recruiting and keeping the staff that the NHS needs to meet the demand asked of it is the biggest concern for trusts. It is imperative that funding for training and education is committed if we are to fund the additional training places, and incentives to bring and retain the talented staff the NHS needs. For this additional funding to provide maximum benefit, we must see investment in wider services that the NHS critically depends. Social care and public health budgets are seeing further cuts while demand just grows and grows. Health and care services are intertwined. This underinvestment risks devaluing every pound of investment in the NHS.

“Brexit remains a significant uncertainty for the NHS – both in terms of workforce and the impact of costs associated with the UK’s exit from the European Union. The chancellor must use the Budget to reassure the sector that the NHS will not face additional costs and that funding levels will be maintained following Brexit.”