NHS chiefs’ plea: we need more cash for ‘winter risk’

Rishi Sunak accused of breaking a pledge to give the NHS ‘whatever it needs’ after request for more beds is rejected

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NHS chiefs are calling for the funding settlement unveiled by Theresa May to be drastically renegotiated, as they warn the service is already at increased risk this winter thanks to a shortage of resources.

The settlement, announced in 2018, promised an average budget increase of 3.4% per year for the next five years, leading to an extra £20bn for the NHS in England in 2023. However, significant long-term costs created by the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with Tory manifesto pledges for new hospitals and higher staff numbers, mean that NHS figures will push for a major increase in funding at a spending review, scheduled for later this year.

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