Letter: Cures for the NHS
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: You report on the Prime Minister's comments regarding Labour's plans to improve the NHS ("PM attacked over private visit to wards", 14 January). Specifically, Blair stated that 20 years of problems in the NHS (caused by the Conservatives) cannot be turned around in 20 months, but that Labour is addressing the problems.
The implication is that, by the end of Labour's first term the NHS will be in measurably better shape than it was when Labour took office.
Treasury figures show that in 18 years of Conservative government, 1979 to 1997, the NHS received an average annual real increase of 3.1 per cent. In Labour's first five-year term, the equivalent figure will be 3.7 per cent. Labour is thus giving the NHS an additional annual increase, as compared to the Conservatives, of 0.6 per cent.
No-one would suggest that this extra annual increase, which on a current NHS budget of pounds 85,000 per minute is worth an extra pounds 500 per minute, is anything other than helpful. Whether it is sufficient to finance the sort of improvement that the Prime Minister has implied must be highly doubtful.
M C FITZPATRICK
Head of Economics
Chantrey Vellacott DFK
London WC1B
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments