Three in four Brits support almost doubling NHS budgets by 2033 to £234billion — but are against tax rises to pay for it
Findings reveal that Britons would like to see the budget increases funded by charging patients for missing GP and hospital appointments
THREE in four Brits support almost doubling NHS budgets by 2033 – from £128 billion to £234 billion. But the majority are against tax rises to pay for the spending splurge.
Instead, voters would prefer to see patients charged for missed GP and hospital appointments – with the extra cash going to support NHS services.
Other popular ideas include billing unhealthy Brits, such as smokers or couch potatoes, for illnesses triggered by their poor lifestyles.
The findings come from a poll of 1,000 adults carried out by NHS Confederation ahead of its annual conference in Manchester.
It shows 77 per cent of adults back an annual four per cent rise in healthcare spending over the next 15 years.
A report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies says this would swell NHS coffers by an additional £106 billion each year by 2033/34 – up from the current £128 billion.
Health think-tanks claim the extra cash is needed to make “modest improvements” to current services. But the majority of Brits are against tax rises to fund increased NHS spending.
Research found 58 per cent disagree with income tax rises and 55 per cent oppose a hike in National Insurance.
It suggests ministers will have to raid other budgets to fund the stretched health service.
Instead, the most popular idea was billing patients for skipping appointments, with 71 per cent of adults supporting the move.
A further 47 per cent said sick Brits should be charged if their disease was caused by their lifestyle. The least popular choice was increased Government borrowing, which only 23 per cent supported.
Janet Davies, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said “voters are telling Ministers to grasp the nettle”.
Theresa May will pledge ten years of extra cash for the NHS later this summer.
Minsters are also expected to publish a Green Paper on social care funding in the next few weeks. The NHS Confederation poll shows 82 per cent of adults are keen to see care spending rise.
Chief executive Niall Dickson warned patients will suffer if the Government fails to act.
He said: “What this shows is overwhelming support across the country for increased funding for the NHS but also for social care.
“The message is simple - if we want good, effective and safe services, we will have to find the resources to pay for them.”
Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and Economics at the Health Foundation, said: “Failure to adequately fund social care…will undoubtedly exacerbate pressure on the NHS, with more and more people with no alternative but to seek help in A&E departments, and hospital beds blocked due to a severe lack of community care.”