The NHS needs an immediate cash injection of around £8.5bn a year over the next four years to make up a £32bn shortfall in funding and help tackle the current crisis. The claim comes in the second report of The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS.
John Appleby, Director of Research and Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust, and colleagues argue that, “it is clear that an immediate priority should be given to investment that will sustainably reduce elective, mental health and cancer waiting times, improve access to primary care, and address the workforce and capital investment challenges that the NHS is currently facing.”
They also recommend establishing a new independent body to produce regular reports on health and healthcare, and on medium-term and long-term funding projections.
The BMJ Commission brings together leading experts from medicine and healthcare to identify the key challenges and priorities and make recommendations.
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