The Conservative party will not have to negotiate their plans for the future of the NHS, following a shock win in the UK general election.
No single party was expected to achieve an outright majority in the House of Commons. But the Conservatives have defied expectations and now have enough seats to lead the government without forming a coalition with another party.
Commenting on the result, Michael Dixon, chair of NHS Alliance, says: “Political stability and increased investment is good news for the NHS, however regardless of what happens over the coming days, weeks or months, it is imperative that the new government doesn’t initiate further unnecessary structural change.” According to Dixon, the NHS requires cultural change, and the new models of care, as outlined in the Five Year Forward View, must be supported in helping to deliver this. “We must develop an NHS that places adequate resource into the primary care sector, with an emphasis on prevention rather than cure,” he adds.
Rob Darracott, chief executive of Pharmacy Voice, agrees with this sentiment. “Pharmacy Voice will be calling on the new government to be true to its words and place pharmacy at the centre of the prevention agenda — by managing medicines, repeat prescriptions and minor ailments,” he says.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) directo
r for England, Howard Duff, says the RPS will be contacting new and re-elected MPs to promote the role of pharma
cy.
In the pre-election manifesto, an extra £8bn a year in funding was promised by 2020. And health secretary Jeremy Hunt said there would be staged increases in the years between. This follows the Five Year Forward View outlined by NHS England.
