NHS to receive £22.6billion cash injection in day-to-day health budget, Rachel Reeves announces

30 October 2024, 15:10 | Updated: 30 October 2024, 15:25

Rachel Reeves has announced a £22.6 billion increase in the day-to-day health budget.
Rachel Reeves has announced a £22.6 billion increase in the day-to-day health budget. Picture: Parliament TV/Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

The NHS will receive a £22.6billion cash injection in its day-to-day health budget, Rachel Reeves has announced.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

It comes in a bid from the government to cut waiting lists and help with an ongoing staffing crisis in the NHS.

There will also be a £3.1billion increase in the capital budget over this year and next year.

Delivering her Budget in the Commons, Ms Reeves said: "In the spring, we will publish a 10-year plan for the NHS to deliver a shift from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

"Today, we are announcing a down payment on that plan to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year."

Read more: Rachel Reeves extends fuel duty freeze at Budget as Chancellor vows 'no higher taxes at petrol pumps next year'

Read more: Thousands of Brits to be given cash boost as Rachel Reeves announces Carer's Allowance shake-up

She continued: "Today, because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending, I can announce that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day-to-day health budget and a £3.1billion increase in the capital budget over this year and next year.

"This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010. Let me set out what this funding will deliver.

"Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair. So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS estate.

"To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year, we will provide a further £1.5billion for new beds in hospitals across the country, new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests, and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres so those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible."

Follow LBC for all the latest news and analysis and in-depth covering of the first Labour Budget. Listen live on Global Player.

Rachel Reeves delivered her budget on Wednesday.
Rachel Reeves delivered her budget on Wednesday. Picture: Getty

Ms Reeves went on to say: "Finally, because of this record injection of funding, because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured, and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS, we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks.

"By delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week. That is the difference that a Labour government is making."

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he now has the funds to "start turning the NHS around".

"The chancellor has prioritised the NHS to root out waste and inefficiency," he said.

"All of our manifesto commitments, despite the challenges we’ve got, stand today."

Mr Streeting added: "I owe it to taxpayers that their money is well spent."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Renée Zellweger

Mad about the Box Office: Latest Bridget Jones installment smashes rom com record

Exclusive
David Gauke wants to reduce the size of the female prison estate to make room for more male inmates. File image shows Pentonville prison

Send fewer women to jail to make room for male inmates, says former Justice Secretary

x

Starmer will ensure UK is 'leading country' in European countries stepping up support for Ukraine

Gunner Beck

Women in Army subjected to 'disgusting' comments from male colleagues amid misogynistic culture, inquest hears

The aircraft can be seen upside down, with its wheels in the air, and the area thick with snow

Passenger jet 'flips over' during landing in Toronto leaving 15 injured - with three critical

Paula Miluska had started working from home in November 2022 due to her pregnancy illness

Woman awarded £93k payout after boss fires her for morning sickness by sending jazz hands emoji

c

Britain must take a ‘leading responsibility’ for peace in Ukraine, says PM as he calls for US ‘security guarantee’

Andrew Tate is facing allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor and money laundering

Trump team 'pressuring Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate'

Skyrora, a rocket company with its headquarters in Edinburgh

Scottish company promises to blast rockets into space from 2026

A petition calling for major driving licence changes has received almost 100,000 signatures

Petition calls for ban on newly-qualified drivers carrying passengers under 25

The Princess of Wales has shares portraits drawn by her three children during the half-term break.

Princess of Wales shares heartwarming portraits drawn by George, Charlotte and Louis - but who drew who?

Double Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will retire from cycling this year.

Tour de France winner and double Olympic champion Geraint Thomas to retire from cycling at end of season

A 13-year-old boy has died and five others have been arrested following  a car crash on A672 Oldham Road.

Boy, 13, dies and five others arrested as Vauxhall Corsa spins off road in horror car crash

Lisa Smith, 43, was named by Kent Police

Pictured: Mother-of-two shot dead at pub on Valentine's Day - as police search river Thames for partner

Julia Wandelt who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann

Woman who claims to be Madeleine McCann releases bombshell new DNA test results

Pope Francis will need to remain in hospital with a respiratory tract infection

Pope to remain in hospital with infection as doctors tackle 'complex clinical picture'