Giving with one hand…

So (per this Guardian article) in the year of the NHS’ 70th birthday £20bn will be added to budgets. At the same time spending per head on prevention continues its decline.

 

Programs tackling smoking, poor diet and alcohol address will have fallen by 23.5% in five years. the public health grant to local authorities for helping people to quit smoking, manage sexual health and stay off drugs

 

More generally the new NHS money means no more than a standstill budget unless we sort out health care. Otherwise hospital wards become no more than substitutes for failing care homes and home care.

 

Health policy is the same as wealth policy. Taxpayer billions will be wasted until we get integrated solutions.