Increased spending

Spending on health is one of the Government's top priorities. Spending on the NHS has increased in real terms for many years: the total in 1996-1997 was ₤35 billion; in 1997-1998 this figure increased to nearly ₤42 billion, which amounts to ₤1,700 for every household in the country.

In July 1998 the Government announced it would provide an extra ₤20 billion over the next three years. That amounts to an increase of 4.7% a year above inflation between 1998-1999 and 2001-2002.

This investment in the NHS is planned to bring a host of improvements to services:

· improve hospitals and GP services

· provide for the largest hospital building plan ever

· reduce waiting lists

· finance reform, based on partnership of all health bodies, with GPs and nurses playing a more important role

· begin to reduce avoidable illness, disease and injury and

· reduce the rate of growth in emergency admissions.