Increased NHS spending
The Chancellor’s plans include a 3% increase beyond inflation in day-to-day NHS spending every year. That’s an additional £29bn each year until the end of the decade.
The 3% is higher than the 2.8% anticipated ahead of the review, but lower than the average in recent decades of 3.5%.
We welcome the increases in health spending, noting that this will go towards cutting waiting lists, improving patient care and modernising services. However, we await detail on steps that will support brain injury survivors as the announcement comes in the context of increased financial pressures facing our network of local charities, such as increased National Insurance costs.
Our Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Richard Wood, said:
“The real-terms increase in NHS spending is welcome, but specific spending commitments to support brain injury survivors have yet again failed to materialise. This includes dedicated funding to end the postcode lottery in neurorehabilitation and to invest in local reablement services - including vocational rehabilitation to help survivors return to work should they be able to do so.
“We are also still waiting for more details on an Acquired Brain Injury strategy. Crucially any proposals to improve services and support for people living with brain injury must be fully-funded by the government. We look forward to Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton updating parliament on this following her commitment last month.”
Government health and social care priorities
The Spending Review was published in the context of the government’s promises to shift the focus of healthcare from analogue to digital, treatment to prevention, and hospital to community.
It also comes ahead of the publication of the government’s upcoming 10-year plan for the NHS, as well as publication of the first report from Baroness Casey into adult social care next year. The Spending Review provides for an increase of more than £4 billion in funding for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26.
Headway submitted responses to both the 10-year plan and the Spending Review, advocating for brain injury survivors based on feedback.
