Doctors call for details of long-term funding plan

17 May 2018 Seamus Ward

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In March, Theresa May told a Commons committee meeting that the government would bring forward a multi-year funding settlement in advance of next year’s spending review. However, today, three colleges – the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow – called for more detail on the plan.Derek Bell landscape

They added that Mrs May must make good on her promise to include NHS leaders, clinicians and other experts in the development of the plan. In a letter to the prime minister, they said a working group, made up of clinicians, patients, the public and politicians, should be set up to find solutions to the pressures faced by the NHS and be consulted on the long-term funding settlement.

The letter also calls on the prime minister to look at ways of sharing best practice and learning across all four devolved nations’ health services.

Derek Bell, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh president (pictured), said a multi-year settlement would remove the problems associated with annual budget top-ups and, to an extent, could depoliticise the NHS.

But he continued: ‘This cannot be accomplished without the knowledge and expertise of clinicians, health experts and those leading the NHS. That is why we have proposed a working group, so that the royal colleges and others can feed into discussions about how we develop a sustainable, long-term funding plan, and address the pressures that the NHS is currently experiencing.

‘Our fellows and members are vastly experienced in developing healthcare solutions, and I would urge the prime minister to draw on their knowledge and expertise. It is vital that we create a culture where clinicians have the time to care, time to train, and time to research.’

Earlier this week, the NHS Confederation launched a petition calling on the government to develop a funding plan for health and social care up to 2035. It said a multi-year plan should reflect the demand, funding and workforce issues faced by the NHS. A long-term strategy would help the NHS transform and should bring together health and social care, it added.

Confederation chief executive Niall Dickson also called for detail from the prime minister. ‘Without action, our health and care system will continue to deteriorate; millions will wait, more will suffer and some will die. It is now clear that the cries for more funding are unequivocal,’ he added.

The confederation hopes to gain at least 100,000 signatures to its petition so the need for a long-term plan will be considered for debate in Parliament. It is also working with the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Health Foundation on a review of the UK health and care systems’ funding needs over the next 15 years. A report on this work is due in the next few weeks.