Oxfordshire GP says it will take time to see the impact of Budget promises for the NHS
Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, says there will be an extra £22.6 billion in the day-to-day health budget, whilst there's an increase to the capital budget.
Last updated 31st Oct 2024
A GP from Oxfordshire says the spending promised by the Chancellor on the health service will take time to have an impact.
Yesterday (Wednesday 30 October) Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor, set out the planned taxes and spending in the first Labour Budget in 14 years.
Ms Reeves is promising the £40-billion tax-rising Budget will deliver growth.
When it comes to the NHS, the tax hikes and increased borrowing allow The Chancellor to provide a £22.6 billion increase in the day-to-day health budget as well as a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget, which she called the "largest real-terms growth in day-to-day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010".
Ed Capo-Bianco is a GP in South Oxfordshire:
"It's not going to be solved in one Budget, one winter. It's going to take some time to embed some changes, or notice the impact of those changes.
Recruitment of staff takes time, training takes time, buildings need to be developed, that takes time."
Ed also believes there need to be changes to the way things are done, including the interfaces between primary care and secondary care. Although he feels these work well in Oxfordshire, he feels they would also benefit from improved resources.
What else has been promised in the Budget?
- Fuel duty frozen
- Duty on draft alcohol is cut, but other alcohol tax will rise by RPI
- No increase in National Insurance rates for workers.
- VAT, and income tax rates frozen
- Employer's National Insurance contributions raised
- National minimum wage increases to £12.21
- Nearly £14 billion put aside for compensating victims of the post office scandal and the infected blood scandal
- Inheritance tax thresholds frozen
- Capital gains tax increasing
- Budget for schools goes up by £2.3bn, with an extra £1bn for SEND
- Air passenger duty going up by 50% for private jets
- VAT introduced on public school fees
- Tobacco duty raised
- £22.6bn for the NHS's day-to-day budget
“Any chancellor standing here today would face this reality, and any responsible chancellor would take action. That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances and rebuilding our public services.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the Commons “this Budget raises taxes by £40 billion”.