National health chiefs and political leaders have been urged by NHS Providers to acknowledge publicly that the NHS can no longer deliver what is being asked of it for the funding available.

Writing in the Observer, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson says:

“We face a stark choice of investing the resources required to keep up with demand or watching the NHS slowly deteriorate. Trusts will, of course, do all they can to deliver efficiency savings and productivity improvements. But they are now saying it is impossible to provide the right quality of service and meet performance targets on the funding available.

“Something has to give. This is particularly so since NHS funding increases are about to drop from 3.8% this year to 1.4% next year and 0.3% in 2018-19. As total NHS demand and cost rises inexorably, by at least 4% a year, this will mean even larger gaps after seven years of the deepest and longest financial squeeze in NHS history.

“A range of options are now open to political and NHS leaders. Additional funding is the most obvious, with the new government’s first autumn statement on 23 November providing an immediate opportunity. If, however, there is to be no extra funding, the NHS must make some quick, clear choices on what gives, however unpalatable these choices may be.”

Read the full article on the Observer.

Related media coverage

The comment piece has received widespread coverage, with Chris Hopson appearing on the Andrew Marr Show and various other BBC outlets.

The BBC website has a detailed story on the back of the comment piece.