Spending Review 2015: is it really good news for the NHS?

At face value spending commitments over the next five years are more progressive than they were in 2010, so that’s good news for the NHS…on paper. Back in 2010, the government committed to a very marginal 1.3% real increase in the NHS budget between 2010/11 and 2014/15 inclusive, or no real increase when £5bn funding for social care was excluded. The November 2015 Spending Review announced a more generous 10% real terms increase overall in the six years between 2014/15 and 2020/21 inclusive, with most of this real increase being spent in 2016/17 (3.6% real increase). Again a chunk of money is being allocated for social care, and a healthy £5bn is being invested in research and development projects.