The RCP has responded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng’s first fiscal statement.
In response to the fiscal statement, Dr Sarah Clarke, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:
“The NHS desperately needs additional funding to enable it to tackle waiting lists and provide care, which is why we welcomed the extra funds announced last year. We note that the government has committed that the ‘funding for health and social care services will be maintained at the same level as if the levy was in place’.
“The price of energy remains a concern for many people across the country. While it may seem strange for a medical royal college to comment on energy bills, we know that our health is the product of our environment, and the cost-of-living crisis is only another reminder of this. Polling commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians on behalf of the Inequalities in Health Alliance found that 55% of people felt their health had been negatively affected by the rising cost of living – of those who reported their health had worsened, 84% said it was due to increased heating costs.
“A healthy population is central to economic growth. We need a commitment from government to take action on the factors that keep people healthy in the first place - the Health Disparities White Paper is a vital opportunity to do that, and we urge the government to publish it by the end of this year as planned.”
