Responding to the speech by the health and social care secretary Steve Barclay MP at NHS Providers annual conference and exhibition, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said:

"Trust leaders will welcome reassurances from the health and social care secretary that he has been batting on the NHS' behalf in negotiations with the chancellor ahead of tomorrow's fiscal statement.

"They will also be pleased that he has recognised the critical importance of capital investment in the NHS and confirmation that the £500m discharge fund previously trailed by government will be released shortly.

"Inflationary pressures have left a £7bn shortfall in the NHS' budgets and tough efficiency targets mean more savings will be hard to find without impacting on frontline patient care.

"Leaders across the NHS will scrutinise tomorrow's fiscal statement to see if the chancellor has heeded warnings from trusts – and the health secretary – about the urgent need to tackle the financial and workforce challenges facing the health service."