The Royal College of Physicians has responded to the Chancellor's Spending Review.
Dr Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians said:
'The £29bn real terms increase in funding allocated to the NHS is welcome at a time when services are stretched. Lord Darzi’s assessment of NHS performance was clear and sobering – the NHS is in a critical condition. The additional funding announced today is vital for the government to get anywhere near its ambition to improve NHS services, achieve its waiting list target and deliver its proposed three shifts.
'The government is right to back its analogue to digital ambitions with an increased £10bn NHS technology and transformation by 2028-29. We know many physicians on the frontline are currently using antiquated systems and are keen to see improvements in the analogue to digital shift. As we said in our Prescription for Outpatients report earlier this year, we support the NHS App being the digital front door to the NHS. It has the potential to reduce complexity, and mean patients can access care between or instead of traditional appointments.
'The investment of £30 billion over the next five years in day-to-day maintenance and repair of the NHS estate is also welcome given the dire need to address the physical fabric of the NHS.
'The RCP has strongly supported the government’s efforts to tackle the serious harms of tobacco through its Tobacco and Vapes Bill. We therefore welcome the £80 million per year to support enforcement and cessation services as part of delivering the sickness to prevention shift. But there is more to do. There continues to be an almost 20-year gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas of England, with 2.5 million more people projected to be living with a major illness by 2040. Government came into office promising to tackle the social determinants of health. A clear strategy to tackle health inequalities, and avoidable illness, is vital to reduce NHS demand and ensure that the health service is fit for the future.
'We await the detail of the government’s NHS 10 Year Health Plan and the Long-Term Workforce Plan refresh in the autumn, as well as how the Department will make its 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028/29. We know from our members that the health service is under immense pressure to meet growing demand with the resources it has. Ensuring that NHS doctors feel supported and valued is key – workforce retention must be a continued priority.
'We will continue to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to provide our expertise and physician insight into how funding can be best use to serve the interests of patients and clinicians.'