Health service managers say Hewitt must keep spending

12 May 05
New Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt is already under pressure from health service managers to maintain the record levels of NHS funding up to and beyond 2008.

13 May 2005

New Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt is already under pressure from health service managers to maintain the record levels of NHS funding up to and beyond 2008.

As Hewitt began her new job, the NHS Confederation published a survey of chief executives in which 34% said sustaining the levels of growth beyond 2008 must be her top priority. A further 22% said refining the payment by results system would top their list.

Whitehall officials have said consistently in the past year that annual NHS spending increases are likely to be around 3% after 2008.

NHS Confederation chief executive Gill Morgan said the service could make a strong case for continued high investment in the 2006 Spending Review, which will determine NHS spending after 2008.

'NHS funding is set to grow by £41.5bn between 2002 and 2008, which means we are halfway through an extremely welcome period of investment in this country's health and health services,' she said.

'This extra investment is already paying dividends but it must be maintained because people are living longer, the cost of new drugs and technology is increasing and the care that we provide for NHS patients needs to keep pace with rising public expectations.'

The British Medical Association also drew up a list of priorities, including a recognition that private sector provision in the health service must not destabilise the NHS.

Despite the record levels of spending, Hewitt will clearly be expected to fight for even more. She also faces some tricky decisions, left over from John Reid's tenure, including whether to ban smoking in public places and expand payment by results.

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