NHS is not the only organisation facing a funding ‘black hole’ in Tory England
A report by the parliament’s spending watchdog has warned of ‘persistent financial distress’ in a significant number of acute hospital trusts [Image: Peter Byrne/PA].
We’re not in recession; independent figures show GDP is higher now than it was before the crash so why is the NHS in crisis?
Here’s your proof: GDP has risen:
But NHS spending as a percentage of GDP has dropped:
Real spending is not a useful indicator due to inflation and the fact that new treatments and procedures tend to be expensive.
The Conservative Government’s claims – about the reasons the NHS is facing pressure and the measures being taken to relieve it – don’t make sense in this context.
It simply needs to bring its own funding level back up to scratch.
The trouble is, the NHS isn’t the only UK organisation facing a funding ‘black hole’.
According to some commentators, George Osborne is facing an £18 billion shortfall.
That’s what happens if you don’t have a plan for investment, like Labour’s John McDonnell.
But it means the NHS will have to get in the queue for any scraps left after Osborne has finished cutting taxes for the rich.
The NHS in England lacks a convincing plan to plug a £22bn “black hole” in funding within five years, according to parliament’s spending watchdog.
A significant number of acute hospital trusts are in “serious and persistent financial distress”, there is a “spiralling” trend of increased deficits and the current payment system is “not fit for purpose”, the public accounts committee said.
A report published on Tuesday found that reliance on agency staff, sometimes at “rip off” costs, had contributed to the dire situation and NHS trusts were also trying to meet unrealistic savings targets.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We know some parts of the NHS are under pressure due to our ageing population, but we disagree with the claim that we are not acting quickly enough.
“We are intensively supporting challenged trusts to improve finances, while clamping down on rip off staffing agencies and helping hospitals become more efficient.”
Source: NHS struggling to plug a £22bn funding ‘black hole’, says report | Society | The Guardian
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Their idea of “helping hospitals become more efficient” seems to revolve around cutting services in some hospitals which adds to the problems in others, whilst reducing the first hospitals income, and creating reasons to fine the second.
the money for the NHS and education is not being spent as the tories claim. likely its not being spent on care etc. more likely to be given directly to organisations who oppose public sector health. then it in turn is returned as tory party funding. that is how corrupt the tories are.
The NHS is a most important asset to all of us no matter to which party we belong. I suggest that Conservatives should take note of the fact that they also will be subject to the effect of lack of funding unless, of course, they are multi-millionaires who can afford private health care.