MP committee questions accuracy of government’s NHS funding pledge

The government's repeated claim that it is allocating an extra ten billion pounds to the NHS in England over the next five years may not be accurate, according to a committee of MPs.

A letter from the Health Select Committee has been sent to chancellor Philip Hammond expressing concerns about the finances of the NHS, calling for more money to be provided for the health service to ensure it is able to meet demand.

Specifically, the letter stated that the ten billion pound figure cannot be called accurate, as it can only be reached by adding an extra year to the spending review period, changing the date from which the real-terms increase is calculated, and disregarding the total health budget.

In reality, the number is closer to 4.5 billion pounds, which is not enough for the NHS to adequately cope with the growing pressures placed on it by an ageing population and a rising burden of disease.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, chair of the Health Select Committee, said: "All the indicators suggest that demand is continuing to grow and that we need to go further on prevention, especially if we are to make inroads into widening health inequality."

Other key concerns raised by the committee include the shrinking social care budget and the impact of the continued drive towards efficiency cuts. Dr Wollaston urged the government to provide a fresh commitment to NHS spending in its Autumn Statement.

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