Image: Greek chorus, Wikipedia. Behind the promises of mythic savings, does a tragedy await the NHS?
You could be forgiven for thinking the NHS has done well out of the Budget. While spending on unprotected government departments will have fallen by about a third between 2010 and 2020, the NHS has managed to secure an ‘extra’ £8 billion a year, thanks to some pre-election politicking from Simon Stevens, head of NHS England.
In reality, the next five years for the NHS in England look less and less rosy, the closer you look. Stevens’ own financial predictions outline the size of the problem - if demand for healthcare continues to grow at the same pace, there will be a £30 billion shortfall by 2020. Osborne has committed to closing just over a quarter of that funding gap – but it is unclear when and how this £8 billion will be phased in, and crucially, where exactly the money will come from.
