'REVIVE NHS'
Rachel Reeves will spend billions at tomorrow’s Budget freeing up two million extra NHS appointments
Fresh funding will boost the number of elective appointments by 40,000 a week
RACHEL Reeves will spend billions at tomorrow’s Budget freeing up two million extra NHS appointments.
In an effort to revive the ailing health service, the Chancellor will pump £1.5billion into new surgical hubs and scanners and spend a further £70million on radiotherapy machines.
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The planned hubs will clear a path for thousands of additional procedures and millions of diagnostic tests across the country.
Fresh funding will boost the number of elective appointments by 40,000 a week.
It comes on top of an additional £1.8billion investment into elective activity announced in July.
At a hospital visit with Ms Reeves in South London yesterday, Wes Streeting heaped praise on the funding announcement.
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However, the Health Secretary warned that “it will take time to turn the situation around”.
Asked if the Budget would fix the NHS, the Chancellor said: “I don’t think in one Budget you can undo 14 years of damage.
“But in this Budget we’re going to provide the resources necessary to deliver on our manifesto commitment to reduce the huge backlog.”
She added: “We will be known as the Government that took the NHS from its worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet again and made it fit for the bright future ahead of it.”
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