Official figures released by the NHS reveal many discrepancies with targets set, such as breaches in hospital operations, cancer treatment procedures and accident and emergency department targets. Halfway through 2014, the deficit in the health service’s operating budget reached 630 million pounds [nearly $1 billion], a significant degradation from the first quarter.
The current NHS budget totals 114 billion pounds [almost $180 billion]. According to the press release, with an “unprecedented” number of hospitals reporting deficits, a financial crisis next year is “inevitable” if the NHS does not increase its budget by 0.2 percent in real terms in the coming year.
“There is scope to improve productivity in the NHS, but this will not be enough to respond to unprecedented pressures on budgets and meet rising demand for services … However, unless the money is found, a financial crisis is inevitable next year and patients will bear the cost as waiting times rise and quality of care deteriorates,” said Chris Ham, the chief executive of the King’s Fund.
Even in the most optimistic scenario sketched out by the NHS’ five year plan, an extra 8 billion pounds a year in funding will be required by 2020, which is more than any of the political parties have pledged to find so far.
