Up to 4 million additional tests, scans and procedures will be
delivered across the UK as the Chancellor confirms £6 billion of
investment over the next five years in Britain's health to make
working people better off.
It comes after the Chancellor's Spending Review where she pledged
to invest in Britain's renewal, with the biggest ever investment
in the Department of Health and Social Care, where she told the
commons “there's no strong economy without a strong NHS”.
Today, the Chancellor is confirming this investment in the NHS
which will deliver new scanners, more community diagnostic
centres – on top of the 170 already delivered across the country
- ambulances and Urgent Treatment Centres to support emergency
care teams, with increased capacity in community care to reduce
pressure on hospitals.
The funding injection will give patients better access to vital
diagnostic scans and treatment in more convenient locations,
including shopping centres and local high streets, providing
faster diagnoses and improved outcomes.
This will help cut hospital waiting lists and deliver the
Government's Plan for Change commitment that 92% of patients
should start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral
and follows record investment of £232 billion in the NHS
announced at the Spending Review.
Chancellor of the Exchequer said:
“Over a decade of underinvestment from the previous government
put the NHS on its knees, with people across the country unable
to get the care they need. We are investing in Britain's renewal,
and we will turn that around.
“Part of our record investment will deliver 4 million tests,
scans and procedures, so hard working people can get the health
care they and their families need. There is no strong economy
without a strong NHS, and we'll deliver on our Plan for Change to
end the hospital backlog, improve living standards and get more
money in people's pockets.”
£30 billion will also be invested over the next five years in
day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate, with over £5
billion specifically allocated to address the most critical
building repairs, reducing the most serious and critical
infrastructure risk in a targeted way. This will begin to address
the recommendations of the Darzi review and will turn the tide on
the trends of the past 15 years.
Record investment must go hand-in-hand with reform across the
health service, to deliver 2% productivity growth each year and
unlock £17 billion of savings over the next three years to be
reinvested back into the Health Service and support a radical
transformation of the Service to be set out in the 10 Year Health
Plan.
, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,
said:
“Since taking office we have been relentless in our drive to cut
waiting times for patients, delivering over 3.6 million extra
elective care appointments and reducing the overall waiting list
by over 200,000.
“The £6 billion investment we are announcing today will generate
millions more vital diagnostic tests, scans and procedures for
patients across the country.
“Through our Plan for Change we are delivering the investment and
reform needed to put the NHS on the road to recovery.”
The government is already putting the latest technology in the
hands of patients and staff with a national expansion of the NHS
App and a recent £70 million investment in new radiography
machines to give cancer patients faster and better treatment.
Reforms to general practice will also slash red tape and bring
back the family doctor, allowing GPs to spend more time treating
patients.
This settlement also supports the shift from treatment to
prevention, improving the health of the nation and reducing
demand on the Health Service.
The Government will also deliver its manifesto commitment of
recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health staff by the end of
the Parliament and expanding mental health support teams in
schools to 100% of schools in England by 2029-30. An extra £4
billion a year will be made available for adult social care by
2028-29, supporting the sector to improve adult social care and
deliver a Fair Pay Agreement.
Today's announcement is the latest milestone in the governments
mission to reform the NHS through the Plan for Change, having
already delivered over 3.6 million extra elective care
appointments, recruited an additional 1,500 GPs, financed the
upgrade of over 1,000 GP surgeries and allocated over £750million
for vital maintenance repairs at hospitals across the country.
