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Conservative boost to NHS 'half what was pledged in manifesto' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The Conservative Party has only allocated an extra £4.5 billion to the health budget in England and Wales despite pledging to give a lot more, according to an influential cross-party committee of MPs. | The Conservative Party has only allocated an extra £4.5 billion to the health budget in England and Wales despite pledging to give a lot more, according to an influential cross-party committee of MPs. |
The health select committee said the Government had given a misleading impression of how much funding is received by the NHS, with the actual figure only about half of what the Tories promised in their 2015 general election manifesto. | The health select committee said the Government had given a misleading impression of how much funding is received by the NHS, with the actual figure only about half of what the Tories promised in their 2015 general election manifesto. |
The Government has repeatedly vowed to spend an extra £8.4bn above inflation on the NHS to ease mounting pressures on the service. It was a key pledge laid out in the Conservative campaign, and due to be fulfilled over this term in Parliament, ending in 2020/21. | The Government has repeatedly vowed to spend an extra £8.4bn above inflation on the NHS to ease mounting pressures on the service. It was a key pledge laid out in the Conservative campaign, and due to be fulfilled over this term in Parliament, ending in 2020/21. |
The health select committee said the Government had manipulated the figures, meaning the actual health budget was "less than would appear to be the case from official pronouncements". | The health select committee said the Government had manipulated the figures, meaning the actual health budget was "less than would appear to be the case from official pronouncements". |
The committee demanded the figures be communicated in a more transparent way. “We call on the Government to be clearer in the presentation of its funding commitments. | The committee demanded the figures be communicated in a more transparent way. “We call on the Government to be clearer in the presentation of its funding commitments. |
“In our view, the funding announced in the Spending Review does not meet the Government’s commitment," it said. | “In our view, the funding announced in the Spending Review does not meet the Government’s commitment," it said. |
The Government has changed its definition of NHS spending since 2015/16 so it only includes money going to NHS England, excluding other NHS resources, according to the report. | The Government has changed its definition of NHS spending since 2015/16 so it only includes money going to NHS England, excluding other NHS resources, according to the report. |
Through cutting some parts of the Department of Health’s budget, such as from recruiting staff and health promotion schemes, it gave NHS England a big budget increase. The areas now excluded from the figures, for instance programmes preventing obesity, have a direct impact on frontline services. | Through cutting some parts of the Department of Health’s budget, such as from recruiting staff and health promotion schemes, it gave NHS England a big budget increase. The areas now excluded from the figures, for instance programmes preventing obesity, have a direct impact on frontline services. |
The committee flagged the cuts to staff training as particularly worrying. It said: "We are concerned about the cuts to Health Education England at a time when the workforce shortfall is already placing a strain on services and driving higher agency cost." | The committee flagged the cuts to staff training as particularly worrying. It said: "We are concerned about the cuts to Health Education England at a time when the workforce shortfall is already placing a strain on services and driving higher agency cost." |
The committee also said overspending in 2014/15 meant that NHS trusts were £2.5bn in deficit - meaning a large portion of the extra £4.5bn in NHS spending would simply be used to bring the NHS back into the black. | The committee also said overspending in 2014/15 meant that NHS trusts were £2.5bn in deficit - meaning a large portion of the extra £4.5bn in NHS spending would simply be used to bring the NHS back into the black. |
The report goes on to cast doubt about how practical the Conservative pledge for a seven-day NHS is. | The report goes on to cast doubt about how practical the Conservative pledge for a seven-day NHS is. |
"Given the constraints on NHS resources we will be reviewing whether the focus on seven-day services is delivering value for patients given the concern that it may displace measures which would be more cost effective," it wrote. | "Given the constraints on NHS resources we will be reviewing whether the focus on seven-day services is delivering value for patients given the concern that it may displace measures which would be more cost effective," it wrote. |
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said ministers continued to back their figures. "We reject these conclusions," he said. | A spokesperson for the Department of Health said ministers continued to back their figures. "We reject these conclusions," he said. |
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