Chancellor must prioritise assist for the NHS after Tories left £9billion gap

Chancellor Rachel Reeves must perform a tricky high-wire balancing act when she unveils her Budget in 10 days.

And there is no financial safety net from the previous Government, which recklessly spent beyond its means. Today, we reveal yet another black hole left by the Tories – a whopping £9billion one in the NHS. This threatens Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s ability to deliver his promised 40,000 extra NHS appointments a week.

Ms Reeves has made it clear health will be a priority when divvying out extra cash. But £9bn is an eye-watering shortfall to make up. She cannot touch taxes on income and sales or employee national insurance that are the usual big revenue raisers.

So non-doms, shareholders, employers and parents with children at private schools are squealing about hikes heading their way. But the money must come from somewhere. No one doubts the NHS is a deserving cause. It faces unprecedented challenges paying for more life-saving treatments and looking after an ageing population with complex needs.

Mr Streeting knows NHS reform is not just about money. Which is why he wants to turn it from a sickness service to a prevention one. He will now ask patients and clinicians how best to shape his 10-year health plan – such as cheaper alternatives to hospital and GP visits by self-monitoring diabetes and high blood pressure with smart watches.

But such innovation is not a substitute for the cash the NHS needs if it is not to stand still or, worse, slide backwards. And better some pain in the pocket than the pain too many patients will otherwise face.

War on knives

It is a shaming testament to our lawless streets that children now have to be escorted to school by adults patrolling in stab vests. A teen in Croydon was killed with a zombie knife last year and volunteers there are acting to ensure there is not another tragedy.

In the 12 months to March 2023 there were 681 blade attacks in the London borough, one of the worst knife crime areas in the country. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s Crime and Policing Bill starts honouring her vow to halve blade attacks within 10 years.

It will stop ninja and samurai sword sales, and jail tech bosses if banned zombie knives and machetes are traded on their platforms. The 13,000 extra police and community support officers she is hiring will ensure the new laws are enforced.

Lord Parcher

Author Jeffrey Archer can’t spend a penny more in his local pub because it’s crowded out with Swifties. They flocked to the South London boozer after Taylor named it in a song. But Jeffrey of all people should appreciate a thirst among equals.