Commenting on today’s Autumn Statement (17 November) delivered by the chancellor which includes an extra £3.3 billion for the NHS in each of the next two years, Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS needs bold and deliverable plans to increase capacity and workforce so we can deliver the high standards of care that patients deserve and staff wish to deliver.
“We don’t yet have those and so the challenges remain significant despite today’s funding announcement.
“However, any additional funding has to be welcomed and will mean the NHS can deliver on some key priorities in a way it may not have been able to without.
“But it is vital it is spent wisely by the NHS on projects which will make the greatest difference and as part of a wider effort to tackle the root cause of problems in the system in order to do so.
“In the short-term though, given the extent of the difficulties we face, there still needs to be some honest discussions about what the NHS can deliver over the next few months.”