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More cash for NHS winter crisis adds to Budget pressure on Reeves

The Government is set to announce an emergency funding package for the NHS in the coming weeks to help avoid a winter crisis, i understands.

Whitehall sources said that extra cash was likely to be made available for the health service as part of efforts to ensure that it does not become overwhelmed over winter when demand tends to increase.

The NHS has already begun its winter vaccination campaign, urging older people and pregnant women to get protected against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Flu jabs and Covid boosters will start from next month.

Sources told i that a package of additional funding was likely to be announced this month or next, before the Budget on 30 October, as the health service sets out its instructions to trusts and other NHS providers.

NHS leaders are keen to use innovations such as “virtual wards” which have relieved winter pressures in previous years without needing large amounts of extra money.

It is not yet clear how much additional funding will be made available. Previously the NHS has asked for around £1bn to ease the pressure without impacting other services.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves would need to fund the money either by taking away from the budget for other public services, or by increasing taxes or borrowing at the Budget.

She has already warned of a £22bn black hole in the public finances for this year alone, and faces the prospects of spending cuts for most departments under the plans set by the previous Government.

The government is already facing criticism over its decision to axe the winter fuel allowance for all but the most vulnerable pensioners.

Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We have had conversations with the new Government around winter planning for this year.”

Asked whether he was pushing for more money, Mr Powis replied: “We have been looking at funding, obviously, going into this winter. We continue to talk with Government around funding that might be required over the winter months. But I think the important thing to say is we don’t start planning for winter months in advance, we start planning for winter well in advance.”

A Downing Street spokesman refused to comment on whether or not more funding would be provided, but said: “We are obviously committed to ensuring that the NHS has the resources it needs to get waiting lists down and meet the first steps ambitions that have been set out in the manifesto.”

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has warned that long-term reform will be needed to bring NHS costs under control while improving the quality of care. He has commissioned a review led by top surgeon Lord Darzi, and in the shorter term has promised to provide an extra 40,000 appointments each week.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation. Not only did this Government inherit a broken NHS, we also inherited the worst economic circumstances since the Second World War.

“It will take time to fix the foundations of our NHS and our economy, but we are committed to doing so.”

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