The Lancet, the world's best known medical journal, today published an editorial calling for politicians from all sides to "come together with the health-care community to start an urgent debate that goes well beyond 2020"
The Lancet editorial piece comes at time of great worry over the future of the NHS, and accurately echoes NHS Survival's call for a Royal Commission.
It argues that the only way forward, beyond the short scope of an elected government until 2020, is to gather all political parties to debate rationally to "properly define and fund an equitable health and social care service in England long into the future".
The NHS funding shortfall is starkly highlighted by saying: "With the promise of £8 billion investment by 2020 at a time when public sector cuts could reach 40%, the NHS should be well protected. But Stevens’ Five Year Forward View has already highlighted an anticipated shortfall in funding of an eye-watering £22 billion by 2020."
NHS Survival has been campaigning hard with MPs, building public and professional support for a Royal Commission over the past few months. A Royal Commission can make objective, non-political recommendations which would be the starting point of a new partnership between patients, public and professionals to work with politicians and form an NHS for the future.
NHS Survival spokesperson Dr Hamed Khan, one of the UK's most influential GPs said: "It is encouraging to see such a bastion of medical publishing taking the same stance as NHS Survival. Hopefully health ministers from all parties will be taking notice."
The piece states that the promised £8billion by the current government "will be a minimum requirement for an NHS in England, which, used to underinvestment and political assault, is lurching alarmingly out of control".
NHS Survival fully supports the Lancet and this editorial, and urges all interested parties to join the debate on how to properly define and fund an equitable health and social care service in England long into the future.
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