Reacting to the Government’s announcement of a £3.8 billion increase in NHS England’s funding next year, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive Nigel Edwards said:
We need to see the fine print tomorrow to know whether this announcement is quite as generous as it seems.
Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust
"The Government’s decision to put more money into the NHS up front will provide a stable platform next year. But the health service needs that funding just to follow through on existing plans. It won't cover the expanded ambitions now being listed, such as providing seven day services.
"There's also a concern that some of this money might come from cutting services that the NHS depends on to support it - like sexual health or home care for older people. We need to see the fine print tomorrow to know whether this announcement is quite as generous as it seems.
“The decision to keep up investment in buildings and equipment is right. But I worry about quick sell-offs of NHS land to fund this. These have often failed to get good value for the taxpayer.”
Notes to editors
Please contact Mark Dayan on 0207 462 0538 or Katherine Jarman on 0207 462 0555 for further comment or to arrange an interview.