Today the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and 29 medical specialist societies and faculties have written to the Chancellor ahead of this week’s budget. In the letter we highlight the scale of the challenges facing our NHS and social care services and the need for the Government to act now.
The letter makes clear that the NHS does not operate in isolation and that the wider health and social care ecosystem requires investment.
The signatories state that ‘We have an ageing society living with multiple health conditions, growing health and economic inequalities, an NHS and social care workforce at breaking point, a tired NHS estate and a fragile social care system.’
‘Additional NHS funding announced by the last Prime Minister was a welcome boost, but this will only keep the system ticking over. This Government has an opportunity to create a healthier, happier and fairer well-led society where health and wellbeing are at the centre of all policies. From education to employment and housing, transport to the environment; a legacy that would be remembered for generations to come. ‘
‘This will only be achieved through sustained investment into the health and social care system however. We are calling on the Government to use this budget to invest in public health and social care’
It is crucial that the Government uses the budget to create a healthier and more prosperous nation. This letter follows an earlier letter where the RCP to chancellor around the need for a long-term solution to the pension’s taxation problem.
