Warm welcome for the Prime Minister’s comments on NHS funding

28 March 2018

 

Theresa May has promised a "multi-year" funding plan for the NHS in England in an appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee. 

 

Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments to the Liaison Committee on NHS funding, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said:

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s remarks. We have stated repeatedly that we have reached a watershed moment for the NHS, which can not and will not be able to deliver the standards of care that it is expected to provide with current resources.

“We have been encouraged in recent weeks to see that the health secretary grasped the urgency of the situation, and it is good that the Prime Minister too has now recognised that this can not wait until the spending review. We need a plan sooner rather than later.

“It is also positive that she wants to work with NHS leaders, but in doing this it is vital that the government listens to the concerns of frontline trusts, as well as the NHS national bodies. A key message she will hear is the importance of addressing current workforce shortages alongside funding requirements. Trust leaders say they need just as much help from the government in this area as well.

“It is also vital that as part of any long term funding settlement for the NHS, the government also considers the need to support social care. They are two sides of the same coin which must be addressed together to provide a health and care system that delivers the best possible care for patients."