NHS Confederation Responds to Liz Truss’ Vow to Divert NHS Funding to Social Care

Responding to Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss’ plan to divert NHS funding to social care,
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“Health leaders agree strongly that social care desperately needs more investment from the Government as they know that boosting the salaries and staffing levels in the sector will have a more immediate impact on tackling the backlogs and ensuring people can leave hospital sooner.

“However, this should not come at the expense of funding that has been already committed for the NHS. Frontline services are already facing a real terms funding cut this year, with 105,000 vacancies and buildings in a state of disrepair.

“The NHS is still reeling from a decade of austerity and two years of the pandemic, so the choice should not be binary. If this briefing is accurate and becomes policy, NHS leaders will face impossible choices on what to prioritise for their patients.”