NHS “sticking plaster” cash promise is nothing like enough
Today’s hastily cobbled together face-saving NHS cash initiative by the PM is nothing like enough. It won’t even come close to resolving the serious crisis her Government has placed our NHS in.
Welcome as it is, the extra funding is a more of a sticking plaster for the tattered reputation of the Conservative Party than it is a solution for a debt-ridden NHS facing its greatest crisis in its 70 year history.
The PM makes this announcement before she has any idea where the money is coming from. This clearly indicates it is more about reputation management than it is about substance.
Brexit dividend?
I see that one of her critical sources of finance is the dear old ‘Brexit dividend’. But as the Chief of the Institute of Fiscal Studies points out “there is no Brexit dividend”. Even if the ‘dividend’ were to finally emerge, it certainly won’t anytime within her promised funding period to 2023.
20% more by 2020
A group of medical professionals and political campaigners and I have been convening a cross-party campaign for “20% more funding by 2020” to overcome the mismanagement and cash starvation of recent years.
This Save our NHS campaign is calling for considerably more than the 3.4% per annum the Prime minister is offering. That’s approximately £25bn for 2019/20, compared to £3.8bn in the Conservative’s promise.
Copies of our petition, Charter and copies of the open letter from supporting medical professionals are available.