Thank you for contacting me about how to fund the NHS in the future.
How to fund the NHS in the long-term is one of the most pressing and potent political issues facing the country. Demand for the NHS only continues to rise, and as the population ages, there are a growing number of widespread chronic conditions which will be increasingly expensive and challenging to address, without a credible and effective plan to fund the NHS and social care.
As I am sure you are aware, the Prime Minister recently announced the Government’s intention to implement a long-term funding plan for the NHS from the next spending review. This will accompany the Government’s integration of health and social care, and ensure that the NHS can properly meet the demands of the future. I fully support this, as I believe it will be an excellent opportunity to build a secure NHS workforce for the future, and drive continued improvements in quality and efficiency in the health service.
While the details of how this funding will be provided are yet to be established, I hope I can assure you that my ministerial colleagues are working to provide a solution which provides the NHS with the investment it needs, and is financially sustainable in the long run. Whether this requires additional tax increases, or reductions in spending elsewhere is not for me to say, and it would be inappropriate for me to pre-empt the Government on this now.
I am proud of the Government’s recent record on the NHS. Despite difficult financial circumstances, NHS investment has increased every year since 2010, and throughout the course of this parliament, the Government will invest at least an additional £8 billion into the health service.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
