More about health budgets

Two recent articles in the BMJ argue that it’s not just about ringfencing health budgets: social welfare and the health of the nation are far more entwined than that. Joan Benach and others look at the international situation, while David Stuckler and colleagues examine the UK perspective in more detail.
Age UK (the name for the merger between Age Concern and Help the Aged) argues that the Autumn spending review should include ringfencing of social care budgets, too. The King’s Fund’s John Appleby also notes ominously that the real extent of cuts will only be made clear in the Autumn spending review and looks at the ripple effect for health of cuts and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s prediction of slower economic growth.

Budget response

The Chancellor's announcement that Child Tax Credit would be increased was greeted with rather more than faint praise by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. However, the blog does go on to outline how the new budget will affect people in poverty, focusing on changes to inflation measures, the VAT hike and cuts in public sector budgets. Health professionals have already criticised the earlier decision to cut plans for the further extension of free school meals elligibility.