• The King's Fund has published its quarterly monitoring report which suggests patients face a long wait before they will see improvements in care as a result of the government’s £20.5bn NHS funding boost.
• The analysis draws on analysis of NHS performance data and a survey of NHS trust finance directors to assess the prospects for the NHS as it enters the first year of the new five-year funding deal.
• It suggests that the NHS is still facing substantial financial pressure despite the additional funding available from April this year.
  
  

Responding to the King’s Fund’s latest quarterly monitoring report, the director of communications at NHS Providers, Adam Brimelow, said:

“These findings show that despite the £20.5bn funding settlement for the NHS, trust leaders are concerned about their ability to deal with the relentless rise in demand. This is leading to more patients waiting longer to receive the care that they need, as reflected in recent performance statistics.

Last year we warned that the funding settlement, although welcome, would be used, in part, to fill the gaps created by a decade of austerity.

Adam Brimelow    Director of Communications

“Last year we warned that the funding settlement, although welcome, would be used, in part, to fill the gaps created by a decade of austerity.

“The long term plan set out 300-plus commitments and the recent implementation framework brought clarity for local leaders on how these should be prioritised. But we have to remain realistic and manage expectations about how much can be delivered given these pressures.

But we have to remain realistic and manage expectations about how much can be delivered given these pressures.

Adam Brimelow    Director of Communications

“Trusts and staff are committed to delivering the vision set out for the NHS. They want to provide care that meets patients’ needs in the years to come.

“But to realise the ambitions of the long term plan, and to transform how care is delivered in local systems, trusts need better capital funding through the spending review and quick solutions to some thorny issues including pensions. We also need to see investment in public health, social care and workforce education and training. Only then will trusts be in a position to fully harness the new money in the funding settlement.”