The College welcomes the announcement by UK Prime Minister, Theresa May MP, that the NHS in England will receive £20bn extra a year by 2023, compared with today's figure (£114bn a year).
It is understood that the Scottish Government will receive an estimated £2bn extra and that Wales will receive an estimated £1.2bn extra, along with hundreds of millions for the health service in Northern Ireland.
Commenting, College President Professor Derek Bell OBE said:
“Any announcement of extra funding for our NHS should be welcomed, and this is no exception. Indeed, we are encouraged by the Prime Minister’s funding commitment, particularly at a time of uncertainty for the economy. It’s a much needed boost to hard working doctors and health professionals who often feel under resourced and as a result, under increasing pressure.
“However, we believe that doctors – and indeed other health professionals - must be given a greater say in addressing how money is spent within the service. That is why we will continue to call for a working group to be set up, to act as a link between the Government and the clinicians, health experts and managers who are leading the NHS. This would also allow the Royal Colleges and others to feed into discussions about the different pressures that the NHS is under.”
Speech by the Prime Minister, 18 June 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-the-nhs-18-june-2018
