Responding to the Conservative Party’s General Election manifesto, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive Nigel Edwards said:
Without further funding, seven-day hospital services will probably require centralisation, involving the downgrade and closures of local services such as emergency surgery or maternity units.
Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive
“The Conservative party’s pledge to increase funding for the NHS by a minimum of £8bn is a welcome recognition that the health service needs significant extra money simply to stand still.
“The funding pledge is also a vote of confidence in the NHS’s own five-year plan to transform healthcare services for the future. But even with this additional money, the NHS will have to find unprecedented levels of efficiency savings within five years just to break even.
“In this context it is difficult to see how all of the improvements set out in the manifesto would be affordable, however welcome they may be. For instance, the party is absolutely right to aspire to seven-day access to NHS hospital and GP services by 2020. But providing a seven-day NHS service in hospitals will either mean big changes to the way services are run across the country or significantly more money.
“Without further funding, seven-day hospital services will probably require centralisation, involving the downgrade and closures of local services such as emergency surgery or maternity units. What’s more, seven-day GP working and an enhanced focus on prevention will mean spreading the already extremely strained primary care workforce even further. It is hard to see how these changes could happen without extra funds that go beyond the £8bn minimum set out in the manifesto.
“It would be useful to have had clarity on which of these proposals are immediate priority improvements and which are contingent on an as yet unrealised long-term economic plan.
“It is good to see the Conservative party demonstrate their commitment to improve access to mental health services, which, as we have previously documented, are deteriorating. However, while pooled health and social care budgets might help end fragmentation between services, such an approach will not mitigate the huge financial strain social care is under, which looks set to worsen under Conservative spending plans.”