National health service may be out of funds by 2015
Think tank The King’s Fund has suggested that the NHS may run of money as early as next year in it’s latest report. The study, which calls for a drastic increase in funding, warned that waiting times will rise and staff will have to be cut, affecting the quality of care provided.
Despite saving strategies by the government, results show that a financial crisis is inevitable, with funds expected to diminish between 2015 / 2016, although there are worries that the money could run out sooner.
Money shortage
The report comes as new data from the Office of National Statistics unveiled that the UK spends less on health than any other G7 country after Italy.
John Appleby, Chief Economist at The King’s Fund and lead author of the report told The Telegraph “It is now a question of when, not if, the NHS runs out of money. Without significant additional funding, this will lead to rising waiting times, cuts in staff and deteriorating quality of care. It is essential that politicians from all parties are honest about the scale of the financial pressures facing the NHS and initiate a public debate about the long-term sustainability of the health and social care system before, not after, the general election.”