The Richmond Group has released a response to today’s report from The King’s Fund, Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation, warning that the Government must find £4 billion more for the NHS in the Autumn Budget in order to prevent the further deterioration of patient care.
Chris Askew, Chair of the Richmond Group of Charities, said:
“This new report from the undisputed experts provides further evidence that – without proper investment – the ability of our health service to meet the needs of the people in England will continue to deteriorate. For too long we’ve seen a lack of sufficient investment, and a piece meal approach to responding to increasing pressures, negatively impacting on the lives of the 1-in-4 of us in the UK living with a long term health condition. It’s time for the Chancellor to reverse this worrying, damaging trend.
“Through our work with people living with conditions such as cancer, dementia, depression or arthritis, we know that access to timely, high quality health and social care is on the decline: 4 million people are currently still waiting for planned operations; only a third of people asking for social care receive actual help with their personal care; and 80% of NHS Trust bosses have said they fear they will be unable to provide the right level of care to the growing numbers of people seeking mental health support. The problems facing our health and social care services are now system wide, and demand decisive, wholesale action from the Chancellor. This begins with proper investment, both short term and long term.
“Fixing the issues facing our health and social care services will cost money, but allowing this decline of quality to continue will damage both the NHS and people’s lives. The Chancellor’s responsibility to the 15m people in England living with a long term health problem is clear; we urge him to take this responsibility seriously, and act.”
The Richmond Group of Charities is working together as a collective voice to better influence health and social care policy, with the aim of improving the care and support for the 15 million people living with long term conditions we represent. For more information please contact Charlie Breslin, Senior Media Manager at Diabetes UK on charlie.breslin@diabetes.org.uk or 020 7424 1129.
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