What will austerity 2.0 mean for the NHS?

When times are hard, it is always those at the bottom of the pile who bear the brunt, writes Ian Hamilton

Starving the NHS of funds will accelerate inequality further (EPA)

The chancellor and prime minister are committed to the NHS budget agreed in last year’s spending review, albeit with the caveat that there must be yet another drive for efficiency.

The spending review confirmed the total NHS budget would rise from £151bn in 2021/22 to £166bn in two years’ time. If the government is to keep this commitment, then something must give. They have already reversed the planned rise in national insurance that was originally meant to cover this rise in NHS funding. As tax rises appear to be an ideological anathema to Liz Truss, that leaves only borrowing, but we’ve all witnessed how expensive that is for the UK government.

So where will they find the money to keep this political promise? We are beginning to get some clues in their not-so-subtle talk of finding efficiencies and economies in all government departments. The most recent target being mentioned is the spend on universal credit and other benefits. An easy push for a cabinet wedded to the mantra that “work is the best route out of poverty”, which translates as the need for the lazy to get working and not rely on the state for support.