The NHS will simply collapse unless politicians have the courage to reform it

The NHS will simply collapse unless politicians have the courage to reform it Despite the Conservative Party having promised to increase NHS spending by £8 billion a year during this parliament – the minimum demanded by its managers – we learn of a crisis within the institution that promises a financial shortfall of £20 billion by 2020-21. Without (so far) any consultation, the NHS proposes a massive reorganisation that could include hospital closures and cuts, and these could start within months, just as the NHS suffers its winter overload. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to reports on NHS sustainability and transformation plans The King's Fund
• NHS England statement on Sustainability and Transformation Plans NHS England
• New tax needed to fund NHS and care, says ex-minister BBC News
• NHS Chiefs plotting a 'glut' of service closures across the country to tackle black hole The Daily Mail
• Former minister calls for new tax to save NHS and social care  The Guardian
• The NHS is ailing. Is a ringfenced tax the best remedy? | Ian Birrell The Guardian
• NHS plans could bring benefits but we're barred from telling the public The Guardian
• The NHS secret is out. And local communities won't like it The Guardian