Parliament might not be sitting, but the politics of the NHS are still active. This week, the Nuffield Trust called for “realism” in discussions between Number 10, the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Social Care over a new spending settlement for the NHS, after warning that high demand, lower than expected cost savings, Covid-19, and the need to recover waiting lists have put it £5 billion adrift of previous plans.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government issued a recovery plan for its NHS, with a billion pounds of investment to increase capacity and restart face to face services. Scotland also promised that a judge-led inquiry into the handling of Covid-19 would start by the end of the year. There is no sign of a leader or remit for England’s promised inquiry.
