Yesterday Theresa May announced her £20bn “Brexit dividend” spending increase for the NHS, but immediately came under fire, with many claiming her figures were misleading or just plain wrong.
The PM told Andrew Marr that: “At the moment, as a member of the European Union, every year we spend significant amounts of money on our subscription, if you like, to the EU.
“When we leave we won’t be doing that. It’s right that we use that money to spend on our priorities, and the NHS is our number-one priority.”
Sarah Wollaston MP was not impressed and tweeted: “The Brexit dividend tosh was expected but treats the public as fools. Sad to see Govt slide to populist arguments rather than evidence on such an important issue. This will make it harder to have a rational debate about the ‘who & how’ of funding & sharing this fairly.”
The Brexit dividend tosh was expected but treats the public as fools. Sad to see Govt slide to populist arguments rather than evidence on such an important issue. This will make it harder to have a rational debate about the ‘who & how’ of funding & sharing this fairly.
— Sarah Wollaston MP (@sarahwollaston) June 17, 2018
In response to Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement of extra funding for the NHS, David Sinclair, Director at the independent think tank the International Longevity Centre – UK (ILC-UK) said: “The additional funding for the NHS announced by the Prime Minister is clearly welcome, but we also need to manage the growing pressures on the health service in the long-term to avoid this becoming a sticking plaster solution.
“As Britain’s population continues to live longer and require more healthcare, the prognosis for the NHS remains poor. The International Longevity Centre calculated that if things carry on as they are, health spending could rise from around 6% of GDP in 2019-20 to 16.4% by 2064-65, which would be completely unsustainable.
“As we approach the 70th anniversary of the NHS, effective innovation and change is needed as well as more money. Social care remains in crisis, and cannot continue to be isolated from healthcare. More investment in prevention services is needed, and would improve both peoples’ health and the NHS’s finances in the long-term.
“The International Longevity Centre’s Health and Wellbeing Innovation Commission Inquiry is investigating how the NHS can better adopt innovation at pace and scale. We hope the Government will look seriously at this issue and our upcoming recommendations.”
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