Responding to the budget statement, in which Chancellor George Osborne confirmed a real terms increase in NHS funding for 2015/16, the NHS Confederation is calling for an open and honest debate on NHS finances ahead of the general election in May.
The NHS Confederation has also called for greater public scrutiny of political plans for the NHS following the decision by MPs on the Health Select Committee last week to abandon the publication of a report into NHS finances. Without more effort to address money in the NHS, the NHS Confederation believes politicians will lose credibility with a public crying out to be engaged on the big issues affecting the NHS in the coming election campaign.
Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:”An open public debate must happen now on NHS finances. We’ve been calling for it for a long time and politicians from all parties cannot duck it anymore – the public simply won’t allow them.“
