RPS co-signs letter calling for long-term investment in social care and public health

Chancellor Phillip Hammond has been urged to include long-term healthcare investments in the 2018 autumn budget.

Phillip Hammond Chancellor of the Exchequer leaving Downing Street

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has joined ten other healthcare institutions in calling for the 2018 autumn budget to deliver long-term investment in public health services, the health workforce and adult social care.

In a letter to Phillip Hammond, the chancellor of the exchequer, the co-signatories — which include the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Nursing — say that “without renewed investment in these areas, plans for truly integrated care will not be possible and consequent demand on NHS services will not be manageable”.

The letter states that by 2025, adult social care services in England face a £3.5bn funding gap just to maintain existing care standards. It also warns that if services for older people and people with disabilities are not properly funded, “people who could and should be supported in the community will remain stranded in our waiting rooms and hospitals”.

The letter concludes by arguing that “a healthier population is key to the long-term sustainability of all public services, including NHS and social care services”.

“There is strong evidence that prevention interventions are cost effective, reduce health inequalities and can deliver improvements in health and return on investment in the short, medium and long term,” it says. 

Last updated
Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, RPS co-signs letter calling for long-term investment in social care and public health;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2018.20205621

You may also be interested in