Osborne’s new money for the NHS only corrects his earlier budgeting mistake

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There will, no doubt, be much trumpeting about a promise of new money - of uncertain amount - for the NHS over the next few days.

The reality is that almost all this money (barring £300 million from bank fines) is being diverted from other spending.

And all this money represents the admission of previous budgeting failures by George Osborne. The need for extra funding in the NHS just to keep services going is widely known. It was certainly known in March. But the money was not allocated then. Instead NHS staff were left to fret about how to try to achieve the impossible with insufficient money to meet need. Now Osborne has corrected a small part of his mistake, because the settlement is still not nearly enough. And we are supposed to celebrate.

I wouldn't suggest anyone does. I suggest we concentrate on the initial mistake and that it was George Osborne who made it at considerable cost to NHS efficiency and morale, as well as the nation's health.

 


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