Dive Brief:
- The British Medical Association, along with several Royal colleges, wrote to Prime Minster David Cameron, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, saying that the National Health Service (NHS) is at "a breaking point" due to a period of unprecedented austerity. The letter was published in "The Independent."
- The organizations warned that the budget squeeze is putting the entire healthcare system at risk, particularly putting the squeeze on cancer care, maternal services, dementia treatment, and A&E (accident and emergency) services.
- In response, Cameron has pledged to protect the NHS, while both Clegg and Miliband have promised additional funding.
Dive Insight:
Keeping a universal health care system going, while trying to save money and cut spending in the face of rising prices, is almost impossible. This is why a group of high-level healthcare professionals and charity signatories are now warning that enough is enough. Their message: Social services are failing, beds are overcrowded, and patients are waiting too long for emergency treatment, as well as cancer care.
The British Medical Association and other signatories to the letter want more funding and the promise that there won't be another top-down reorganization of the NHS, which can cause upheaval and disrupt patient care. In response, Clegg has pledged an additional $1.6 billion in funding for the 2016-17 period, while Miliband has pledged an additional $4 billion per year.