Royal College of Anaesthetists responds to the 2020 Budget statement

Responding to the 2020 Budget statement Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists said:

“The Budget was rightly focused on the government’s plans to cope with Covid-19. The announcement to provide a £5bn emergency response fund for the NHS in light of the outbreak is welcome, however more detail is needed. The extra pressure on the healthcare system will continue to increase, and it will be essential that the NHS has all the resources it requires to cope with the on-going pandemic.

“Also welcome is the change to pension tax rules. Pension concerns have been impacting delivery of the usual high level of patient care being provided by senior NHS staff across all medical specialties. The lifting of the pensions annual allowance taper is a significant step forward and will go some way to alleviate problems in workforce capacity.

“We do however await the publication of the People Plan and will look to the devolved nations equivalents to understand what actions exactly will be taken to support our NHS colleagues.

“As the Chancellor made clear, Covid-19 is not the only challenge we currently face. Whilst the pledge to increase NHS funding by £6bn over the next parliament is important, investment alone is not enough to meet rising demands on the health system.

“If we are to see real change, the government and the profession need to work together in delivering our ambitions around integrated care, including the adoption of perioperative care pathways for surgical patients.”