Our response to reports that the Defence Investment Plan will draw from NHS capital budgets

Responding to reports that the Defence Investment Plan will draw from NHS capital budgets, Siva Anandaciva, Director of Policy, Events and Partnerships at The King’s Fund, said:

‘While many people understand the need to increase defence spending, cutting the NHS capital budget, which helps maintain NHS buildings and equipment, including MRI and CT scanners, will have a knock-on effect on patient care.

‘There are already serious doubts about whether the New Hospital Programme can be delivered, after it was paused, reviewed and republished with a revised timetable. The Department of Health and Social Care has said RAAC-affected hospitals and wave one projects will not be affected, but if later waves of the hospital building programme were delayed it would leave more taxpayer funding tied up in maintaining substandard hospital buildings for longer. It’s a false economy.

‘This could be a serious level of disinvestment and is particularly worrying when more NHS buildings are falling into a state of disrepair, equipment that is already passed its sell-by date will have to be stretched further, the repairs bill is soaring, and more patients and staff are experiencing safety incidents in aging NHS buildings.

‘There are also serious questions about where the remaining £4.7 billion needed to reach the planned £15 billion will come from and whether this signals less investment in health and care in years ahead.’

Notes to editors

This announcement was reported here and here.