RACHEL Reeves will spend billions at tomorrow’s Budget freeing up two million extra NHS appointments.
In an effort to revive the ailing health service, the Chancellor will pump £1.5billion into new surgical hubs and scanners and spend a further £70million on radiotherapy machines.
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The planned hubs will clear a path for thousands of additional procedures and millions of diagnostic tests across the country.
Fresh funding will boost the number of elective appointments by 40,000 a week.
It comes on top of an additional £1.8billion investment into elective activity announced in July.
At a hospital visit with Ms Reeves in South London yesterday, Wes Streeting heaped praise on the funding announcement.
However, the Health Secretary warned that “it will take time to turn the situation around”.
Asked if the Budget would fix the NHS, the Chancellor said: “I don’t think in one Budget you can undo 14 years of damage.
“But in this Budget we’re going to provide the resources necessary to deliver on our manifesto commitment to reduce the huge backlog.”
She added: “We will be known as the Government that took the NHS from its worst crisis in its history, got it back on its feet again and made it fit for the bright future ahead of it.”
LABOUR’S SO CRUEL
By Craig MaCKinlay
IT is little surprise a wet-behind-the-ears Chancellor, looking into a fiscal black hole of her own making, should have considered reaching for the fuel duty lever to squeeze more cash from hard-pressed taxpayers.
I write now as somebody with new incapacities following quadruple amputations of my hands and feet after sepsis.
Those with severe disabilities are incapable of increasing their income.
A fuel duty hike would do untold damage.
F-35 deal’s ‘vital to UK’
LABOUR has been urged to stick to Britain’s F-35 fighter jet programme or inflict a blow to the economy and thousands of skilled jobs.
Industry giant Lockheed Martin cautioned against the Ministry of Defence slashing its order for 138-aircraft in its major defence review.
It insisted the deal was worth £45.2billion to Britain and supported more than 20,000 jobs.
So far, only 48 F-35s have been ordered, of which 34 have been delivered.
The MoD said: “We plan to have at least 74 F-35 fighter jets protecting our skies and helping boost UK jobs.
“Decisions on more purchases will be made in the middle of this decade.”
