Newham health services get extra cash

Health services in Newham, in line with those across the country, will benefit from a 2.8 per cent increase in funding in the financial year 2012-2013.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced that the NHS in London will get the extra cash to provide services for patients in 2012-13.

Next year, the NHS across England will get a funding boost of over �2.5 billion. �91.6 billion will go direct to Primary Care Trusts – a 2.8 per cent increase in total allocations.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the investment represents a real-terms increase in health spending and shows the Government’s determination to ensure that patients have access to high quality local NHS services – a significant step given the difficult economic climate.

The �91.6bn investment in the NHS can be broken down by:

�87.5 billion for allocations to Primary Care Trusts to provide care for local patients. This includes �300m for re-ablement services to help give people the community care they need to become more independent after being in hospital, which is double the �150m invested in 2011/12

�4.1 billion will be invested in dental and eye care, pharmaceutical services and support for joint working between health and social care

Alwen Williams, Chief Executive of NHS East London and the City (a cluster of three primary care trust City and Hackney PCT, Newham PCT and Tower Hamlets that purchases healthcare on behalf of the local population), said:

“Local people have told us that they prefer to be cared for in their own homes. Supporting people to stay in their own homes, for as long as possible, is a priority for NHS East London and the City. The money will be used to better connect services between health and social care that enable this and to support people who are in hospital to get back into their own homes faster. Money has also been set aside to ensure that dental care, pharmaceutical services and eye care services get the money needed to keep improving.”