Burnham refuses to rule out major NHS cutbacks

12 Jun 09

By Gareth Iacobucci

Health Secretary Andy Burnham has heightened fears that the health service is to face a crippling financial squeeze after telling NHS leaders it would be ‘ridiculous’ to make commitments further ahead than the next two years.

Delivering his first keynote speech as Health Secretary at the NHS Confederation conference, in Liverpool, Mr Burnham said health finances were bound to be hit by the fallout of the credit crunch and the Government’s huge debt mountain.

His comments came after his opposition number, Conservative shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, found himself the centre of Tory angst and Labour claims, after telling the BBC a Tory government would look to make big cuts in public spending.

Mr Burnham told delegates that while he was unable to offer any guarantees beyond the next two years, the NHS would ‘remain a priority’ for the Government.

He said: ‘The NHS is not immune to what's happening in the wider world. However, this Government has looked after the NHS, and has funded it properly. ‘I can't write the spending review - it would be ridiculous.’

Earlier Mr Lansley appeared to suggest in an interview on the BBC’s Today Programme that the Conservatives would cut expenditure in other public sector areas by a total of 10% between 2011-5, in order to protect spending on the NHS.

Although Mr Lansley later rowed back on his claims of a 10% spending cut, he told the conference that maintaining the Tories commitment to 'real terms' growth in NHS spending would mean tough choices elsewhere in the public sector.

‘We remain committed to real terms growth in NHS expenditure,’ he said. ‘That implies tougher choices in other parts of the public sector.'

He added the caveat that the NHS would have to demonstrate better productivity in order to justify the money being invested in it.

‘We have to reduce unit costs, to show that NHS is delivering productivity and efficiency gains at least as successfully as other public services. People will be prepared to pay more if we can demonstrate it is money well spent.’