Javid puts pressure on Sunak to raise NHS funding

THE NHS “needs more investment”, the Health Secretary has declared, heaping pressure on the Chancellor for a funding boost in the autumn.

Sajid Javid yesterday served notice to the Treasury that it would have to “add to” the Government’s plan to channel investment into new hospitals and health staff.

The Conservatives committed in their 2019 election manifesto to fund 40 new hospitals and upgrade a further 20, while delivering 50,000 more nurses and 6,000 additional doctors.

Coronavirus has sparked a spate of further issues for the NHS, including a backlog of 5.3 million operations, that will also require cash to help solve.

Another looming headache facing Rishi Sunak is finding the billions of pounds needed to underpin major reform of the nation’s creaking social care system.

Speaking to Sky News yesterday, Mr Javid said: “Of course the NHS requires more investment. That was true actually before the pandemic with our health programme for 40 new hospitals, our investment in the workforce, in doctors, nurses.

“That continues and in light of the pandemic, which of course no one anticipated, I guess it’s fair to say that we need to revisit those plans and see how we can add to this plan.”

He added: “So we’re going to stick with those commitments that we had pre-pandemic, manifesto commitments about making the NHS stronger, but we will certainly be looking over the socalled spending review period to see how we can strengthen it even further.”

Mr Sunak’s spending review this autumn is due to set health and care spending over the next three years.

At the weekend Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said: “The decisions the Government makes will affect the health of our nation for a generation.”