The NHS could collapse within two years unless the government pumps in billions of pounds in funding to fill a growing funding gap, former health minister Norman Lamb has said.
In an interview with the Observer, Mr Lamb, who served as care minister in the previous coalition government outlined that the £8bn pledged by the conservatives is insufficient, and that promises to increase funding have been too ‘vague’.
Pulse has already shown how commissioners are struggling to plug the £22bn funding black hole with increasingly stringent restrictions on services.
The Telegraph reports that almost 100,000 people have backed a letter by doctor Janis Burns to Jeremy Hunt in protest over the imposition of the Junior Doctor’s contract.
The health secretary says the new contract, which makes Saturday and evening working mandatory, is necessary for his seven day NHS plans. But Dr Burns’ letter sets out how much out of hours work is already done by young medics have. Some campaign groups have also said the changes could see GP trainee income drop by a third through the loss of training supplements.
The assessment comes from Rob Wilson, chair of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, but he adds many cases may go unreported. The report outlines how some young men have harmed their health through steroid use and over exercising in a bid to improve their physique.
