The NHS is set to receive an additional £5.4 billion pounds in support over the next six months to support its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and help get through long waiting lists, it has been announced.
The funding will go towards helping tackle issues caused by the pandemic, including long waiting lists for routine procedures, and freeing up beds via the hospital discharge programme.
The funding arrives just as the Government is facing criticism over plans to increase National Insurance to help fund investments in social care.
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Speaking about the additional funding, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “This funding will go straight to the frontline, to provide more patients with the treatments they need but aren’t getting quickly enough.
“We will continue to make sure our NHS has what it needs to bust the Covid backlogs and help the health service build back better from the worst pandemic in a century."
Hospitals across the country have been reporting issues with long waiting lists since the beginning of the pandemic, when procedures had to be cancelled.
The £5.4bn announced today will partly be used to help lower the number of people waiting for vital surgery.
Last week, Liverpool ECHO reported that over 6,000 people across Merseyside are trapped on waiting lists for both minor and serious procedures due to issues caused by the Covid pandemic.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has praised the impact this short-term investment will have on such issues, however.
Mr Javid said: “Today’s additional £5.4 billion funding over the next 6 months is critical to ensuring the health service has what it needs to manage the ongoing pandemic and helping to tackle waiting lists.
“We know waiting lists will get worse before they get better as people come forward for help, and I want to reassure you the NHS is open, and we are doing what we can to support the NHS to deliver routine operations and treatment to patients across the country.”
Despite the investment announced today, the Government say that waiting lists for routine operations such as hip replacements and eye cataract surgery could potentially increase to as high as 13 million people.
While the £1bn investment earmarked to lower waiting lists will have some positive impact, it is expected that lists will rise before they improve.
The £5.4 billion in funding is broken down as follows:
- £2.8 billion for COVID-19 costs including infection control measures
- £600 million for day-to-day costs
- £478 million for enhanced hospital discharge
- £1.5 billion for elective recovery, including £500 million in capital funding.
Despite the boost representing a positive step forward for the NHS, it has been suggested by hospital bosses that the amount needed to fully tackle all major issues is closer to £10bn.
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