Forum Brief: Spending Review - Health

Patients will continue to benefit from increased investment in the health service, as the chancellor reaffirmed the historic funding increase for the NHS of 7.2 per cent increases per year above inflation until 2007/08.

Social services will receive 2.7 per cent increases above inflation for the three years up to 2007/08 to support more older people to live in their own homes.

Government Response: Department of Health

Health secretary John Reid said: "This historic increase in resources allows us to maintain an NHS - the best insurance policy in the world - free at the point of use, but increasingly personal and responsive to the needs of individual patients.

"By 2008, the maximum wait for hospital treatment will have fallen from 18 months to 18 weeks and patients will have more choice and control over their care than ever before.

"Extra resources will help people to lead longer, healthier lives, through an increased commitment to tackle public health problems and to support the 17.5 million people with chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

"Health and social care will work better together to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and support larger numbers of older people to live in their own home. This is a national health service to meet the expectations of all for the 21st century."

Forum Response: NHS Confederation

Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We welcome this sustained investment in the NHS.  It is a lot of money but there is a lot to do.  It is important to remember that there is a huge and ambitious programme of change to be implemented and a backlog caused by 30 years of underinvestment.