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Written question asked by John McDonnell (Labour) on Monday, 24 November 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 November 2025. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Monday, 1 December 2025 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.


NHS: Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of how much the NHS budget will need to grow to keep pace with patient need, drug prices, inflation and private finance debt in each of the next five years.

Answer

The financial pressures and the cost of new commitments for the National Health Service are analysed as part of the Spending Review process. The outcome of the most recent Spending Review is given in the policy paper Spending Review 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document/spending-review-2025-html

As set out in the document, this level of funding growth will support the NHS to deliver on the Government's priorities, including delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change commitment, meaning that by the end of this Parliament, 92% of patients will start consultant led treatment for nonurgent conditions within 18 weeks of referral.

At the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government protected the NHS envelope announced at the 2025 Spending Review. This will see the NHS in England receive an over £15 billion real terms increase in annual resource budgets by the end of the period, between 2025/26 and 2028/29.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
93637
Session
2024-26
Related items
NHS: Finance
Thursday, 18 December 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Finance Drugs Inflation NHS Prices
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk