The NHS needs both investment and reform. As part of the Autumn Budget 2024, the government has allocated our most valued public service an extra £25.7 billion over this year and next.
This is the biggest increase in NHS spending since 2010, excluding COVID-19 years.
It includes funding to reduce waiting times by supporting the NHS to deliver an extra 40,000 elective appointments a week. Elective appointments are appointments planned in advance, such as knee replacements.
Since July, the government has invested an additional £1.8 billion to support this.
These extra appointments will help reduce waiting times. This is part of our plan to make sure patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from their referral to getting treatment.?
The Budget also includes:?
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£1.5 billion to fund new surgical hubs which will help build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures, and more than 1.25 million additional diagnostic tests (which use CT or MRI scanners)
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£70 million to invest in new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment
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Over £2 billion for NHS technology and digital improvements to increase productivity and save staff time
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Over £600 million increase in local government spending to support social care
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£26 million to open new mental health crisis centres
Our long-term plans for the NHS?
Looking beyond this Budget, the government will publish a 10-year health plan for the NHS in spring 2025.?
This will set out the long-term vision for fixing the NHS.?