Keir Starmer promises more NHS money but refuses to say how much

Sir Keir Starmer laid out his plans for the NHS in a speech at an ambulance station in Braintree, Essex. Credit: Ian West/PA Wire

NHS spending to increase under Labor government, Sir Keir Starmer announced.

Labor leader said he would invest more money in health service to reduce wait times, but refused disclose information. how much.

He also declined to say where most of the money would come from, adding that hospital reform would save taxpayers money in the long run.

Sir Keir made the remarks before speaking in Essex on Monday morning, during which he will lay out his vision for an NHS «fit for the future».

'We need A NHS fit for the future'

Sir Keir Starmer said #BBCBreakfast that Labor will propose new NHS targets to reduce deaths in England from heart disease, stroke and suicide if they win the next general election https: //t.co/QGlVg1yYZ8 pic.twitter.com/h4Lwc586DY

– BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast), 22 May 2023

The Labor leader has pledged to meet all major NHS targets that are currently not being met, as well as reduce suicide rates.

He said most his plan was to bring more attention to the community by hiring more general practitioners and setting up new mental health centers across the country.

Asked how the pledges would be funded, he acknowledged that more money would need to be invested in the health service.

“On the money side, first, whenever we make a specific commitment, we're setting the terms today, how we're going to pay for this,» he told the BBC.

you put more money on top, you will get a better result, so money is of course part of the answer, but we also have to change and reform.

“And if we go down the path of prevention, it will actually be much better for people’s lives and health, but in the end it will cost a lot less.”

When asked if there would be more money for the NHS under the Labor Party, he said: “The exact amount we will invest closer to the election, but yes, money is part of the answer. The NHS is always better funded by Labor.»

Labor said it would pay for «the biggest workforce growth in the history of the NHS» by waiving the non-home tax status it could collect over £2 billion a year. year.

Sir Keir has pledged to achieve all major NHS targets, including ambulance and emergency waiting times, by the end of his first five-year term.

But he acknowledged that others parts of his plan, including expanding a domestically trained workforce to reduce the service's reliance on foreign workers, could take a decade.