UK Budget to Deliver Major Boost to NHS, Funding New Equipment & Expanded Operations

Reportedly, the finance ministry has allocated £1.5 billion to set up new surgical hubs and advanced scanners, alongside £70 million for radiotherapy machines to support cancer care.

The UK’s upcoming budget announcement is set to deliver a major boost to the National Health Service (NHS), with billions earmarked to improve patient care, reduce waiting lists, and bring new medical equipment into hospitals.

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will outline these investments on Wednesday, as the government moves to restore and modernize the healthcare system.

Further, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has underscored the need for tax increases to rebuild Britain’s public services and avoid returning to austerity measures, a promise central to Labour’s victory in July. He stated that a healthy NHS is key to a stronger Britain, despite economic challenges.

“We’re putting an end to years of neglect and underinvestment in the NHS,” Reeves said. “We’ll be known as the government that brought the NHS back from its worst crisis, got it on its feet again, and set it up for a bright futurem,” the UK PM noted.

Reportedly, the finance ministry has allocated £1.5 billion to set up new surgical hubs and advanced scanners, alongside £70 million for radiotherapy machines to support cancer care.

This additional funding will help deliver 40,000 extra elective appointments every week, building on the £1.8 billion already committed since July. Reeves is expected to confirm the final figure on Wednesday.

With the NHS facing tough winters marked by backlogs and delays—partly due to COVID-19 disruptions and recent labor strikes—the investment comes at a crucial time.

Moreover, Starmer’s government has prioritized a 10-year plan to overhaul healthcare in England, responding to a recent report that described the NHS as being in “critical condition.”

The Labour Party has also made progress on health worker pay disputes, recently reaching agreements that ended strikes previously cited as exacerbating patient wait times.

This new funding aims to ensure 92% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks, a target the NHS has struggled to meet.

While the NHS operates under the central government in England, healthcare policy is devolved in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where regional governments handle their own health services.

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