BMA calls out government over denials of NHS funding issues

The British Medical Association (BMA) has accused the government of being in a state of "denial" over the funding crisis facing the NHS at present.

During a special representatives meeting in London, Dr Mark Porter, the BMA's council chair, challenged chancellor George Osborne over his claims that the NHS is "fully-funded", saying less than one-third of the extra 30 billion pounds it requires in England alone has been found.

Dr Porter was sharply critical of the government's insistence than any shortfalls in NHS funding can be compensated for by efficiency improvements, stated that doctors are being forced to go above and beyond to ensure patients receive the care they need.

According to the BMA, hospitals are having to cope with more and more limited funding each year, with less money available to treat each patient, while deficits continue to grow.

Dr Porter said: "We have a government that promises and expects the impossible, that ignores the inconvenient."

The government and BMA have been at loggerheads for some time, coming to a crisis point with the recent junior doctors' strike.