Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an extra £1.8 bn (~€1.9bn) for NHS frontline services, but will improving patient care come with the cash injection?
Johnson has announced a £1.8bn immediate cash injection for the National Health Service to help clear an extensive maintenance backlog, upgrade hospitals and essentially have the goal of improving patient care. The injection will start to be pumped into the service and is in addition to a five-year funding settlement announced by former Prime Minister, Theresa May.
Improving patient care across the UK
More beds, new cutting-edge equipment and additional wards will be delivered at hospitals across the country, as the Prime Minister confirms a new £1.8 billion NHS cash injection.
Johnson has made clear that the NHS will be a primary focus of his administration, convinced that the Conservatives can win over voters in a policy area where the opposition Labour party has traditionally held an advantage.
The £1.8 billion funding is in addition to the extra £33.9 billion, in cash terms, the NHS is set to receive every year by 2023/24 through the Long-Term Plan agreed last year. Over £1 billion of this will be spent this year, meaning an annual increase in the NHS’s capital budget of 30%.
The devolved administrations will receive additional Barnett funding in the normal way; suggestive allocations are around £110 million for Wales, £180 million for Scotland and £60 million for Northern Ireland.
“Revitalise our hospitals”
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I love the NHS – and so do the millions of taxpayers and their families cared for by our NHS every month. We owe it to them to make sure they can get the best treatment in the best hospitals.
“On top of the extra £33.9 billion a year we are giving the NHS, today we are making a down payment for the future of NHS buildings and facilities, with a £1.8 billion fund to revitalise our hospitals and immediate funding for bigger wards, better mental health units, and state of the art children’s hospitals in areas that need them the most.
“This is just the start of our Health Infrastructure Plan, with patients set to see and feel the benefits for years to come.”
“This is just the start of our Health Infrastructure Plan”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said: “Thanks to the hard work of the British people, and the fundamental strength of our economy, we’re in a position to further increase funding for our NHS, ensuring quick access to quality healthcare for those who need it.
“This £1.8 billion for frontline services will not just go towards better equipment and technology, but important upgrades of hospitals across the country.”
Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens added: “This is a significant start to the much needed capital investment so that our nurses, doctors and other NHS staff will be able to care for their patients in modern facilities with state of the art equipment.
“The concrete steps being set out this week will mean investment flows directly to frontline services, providing new clinics and wards. As they come online, as part of our NHS Long Term Plan, patients will benefit from reduced waits for treatment and wider upgrades to the quality of care the health service is able to offer.
