Parties 'ducked' big issues, says NHS Providers

Chris Hopson has argued that politicians have ‘ducked’ the big issues in health and social care during the election campaign.

The chief executive of NHS Providers warned at the start of election campaigning that all parties should not make ‘empty promises’ or create ‘unrealistic expectations’, advice which appeared to fall on deaf ears.

The Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have all since pledged millions more in NHS funding and extra staff, including above-inflation increases to the budget for frontline care. Hopson now claims that the political parties have not offered ‘credible answers’ to the NHS's biggest challenges.

Writing in The Times, he conceded that the extra funding commitments were helpful, but said: "In reality, they go no further than restoring NHS funding growth to what they've been in past. But it's not just about money. Whilst we are pleased that parties are committing to increase staff numbers, it's still not clear how that will actually happen."

Concerning social care, Hopson said no party has yet ‘developed a compelling worked-through and credibly funded long-term solution’.

You can read Chris Hopson’s blog post here.