Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced that the NHS England budget will be increased in each of the next two years by £3.3bn.
But delivering his Autumn Statement to Parliament this afternoon, Hunt (pictured) also said he wanted the NHS “to join all public services in tackling waste and inefficiency” and wanted the service to operate with “Scandinavian quality alongside Singaporean efficiency – both better outcomes for citizens and better value for taxpayers”.
Touching on devolved administrations in the country, Hunt conceded that schools and the NHS in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also faced increased pressure.
Consequently, he also committed to an additional £1.5bn funding for the Scottish government, £1.2bn for the Welsh government and £650m for the Northern Ireland executive for “next year, the year after, and every year thereafter.”