All parties must take NHS winter pressures seriously

26 September 2017

 

The Labour Party has called on the government to bring forward a winter bailout fund of £500m. 

It is calling for funding to be focused on:

 

Responding to Labour’s call for a £500 million winter bailout, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said: 

“We hope all parties recognise the importance of taking seriously the added pressures on the NHS in winter.

“Over many months we have warned consistently of the urgent need to fund extra staff and beds in order to deal with the challenging months ahead.

Unfortunately though, it is getting very late in the day to put in place the extra resources that will be needed.

“Unfortunately though, it is getting very late in the day to put in place the extra resources that will be needed.

“It is positive that planning for winter is considerably more developed than last year and that emergency care performance has been given greater priority.

“Underlying all this is the fundamental question of the level of funding needed to deliver the right quality of care to a growing and ageing population. All extra investment in the NHS and social care is welcome.

“But we know that the plans in all the main party manifestos fell well short of the extra funding the independent Office of Budget Responsibility estimated was needed.”