Predicted funding pressures on the NHS will increase to £65bn above inflation by 2030/2031 claims a leading healthcare charity.
Findings by the Health Foundation show that the incoming government will have to sustain high quality care while balancing the healthcare budget.
Predicted funding pressures on the NHS will increase to £65bn above inflation by 2030/2031 claims a leading healthcare charity.
Findings by the Health Foundation show that the incoming government will have to sustain high quality care while balancing the healthcare budget.
Projections from the findings show that the requirement for health funding will grow by 2.9% a year over and above inflation.
Anita Charlesworth, Chief Economist at the Health Foundation, said: “NHS funding will therefore need to grow slightly faster than GDP. We are calling for the next government to establish a public and political consensus on the longer-term funding levels necessary for the NHS.
“The next government needs to act immediately in order to secure the future of the health service in years to come.”
The NHS is one of the key issues of public concern in the run up to the general election. An Ipsos MORI political monitor found in January (2015) that ‘health care and the NHS’ was the most important issue for voters ahead of the election, with 46% saying it was a very important issue. This is an increased from 26% shortly before the last general election. In part, this reflects the enduring public commitment to the principles of the NHS, but it also reflects the growing evidence and concern about the strains on the service.
