Andrew Lansley chides chancellor lack of NHS and social care funding

The former health secretary Andrew Lansley has joined MPs from across the political spectrum in criticising the autumn statement for its lack of extra funding for the NHS and social care.

Lansley, who is now a peer, said he was disappointed there was not extra cash for the health service, which is under increasing pressure because adult social care budgets have been cut.

“I think the time is now to put some measure in place to try and help health and social care through the next two years,” he told the BBC’s World at One.

Asked whether he had been surprised at the lack of a funding announcement, he said: “Not being surprised doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed.”

He said the NHS and social care were facing an “incredibly difficult” period in the coming years.

“In the last parliament a challenging target was set and it was achieved,” he said. “The trouble is in this parliament, what has been asked of the National Health Service is not just more of the same but even more, and I’m afraid what was evident in the last financial year was when you take the level of support for the NHS below a 2% increase – to hospitals, that is – and the demand is rising at 4% there comes a point where they start to go in to significant deficit.

“The front-end loading of the money for the NHS in this parliament in to this financial year will probably mean those deficits come down this year, but without action next year and the year after those deficits will rise again and the accumulated deficit will make it very difficult for hospitals in particular to cope.”

He said the Better Care Fund, which brought together money from the NHS and social care, amounted to “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

“That is not going to be remedied simply by taking money out of the NHS budget and passing it to local authorities,” he said.

Labour politicians led criticism of the chancellor, Philip Hammond, after his autumn statement for his failure to mention the NHS or social care in his fiscal document or to allocate any more money, instead prioritising infrastructure and projects such as more grammar schools.

Some Conservatives also voiced concern, including Sarah Wollaston, the chair of the health committee, who has said NHS and social care are at a tipping point. She and four other members of the health committee have also criticised the government’s claim to be putting an extra £10bn into the NHS by 2020.

“The continued use of the figure of £10bn for the additional health spending up to 2020-21 is not only incorrect, but risks giving a false impression that the NHS is awash with cash,” Wollaston and her four fellow committee members told the chancellor in a letter earlier this month.

Andrew Lansley chides chancellor lack of NHS and social care funding

Andrew Lansley: analogy amongst tobacco and sugar "inaccurate"

Speaking throughout his weekly question and solution session in the Commons, Mr Lansley stated: ”We have had considerable good results in the reduction of salt in food but it has to be understood that this can only be attained functioning with the market on a voluntary basis … and it can only be completed on an incremental basis.

”You can’t simply slash the sugar in food otherwise folks basically won’t accept it. That is what they are hunting for. I will not believe it is helped by what I believe are inaccurate analogies. I just never believe the analogy amongst sugar and tobacco is an acceptable one particular.

”I consider we have to comprehend that sugar is an crucial element of foods, it is just that sugar in excess in an inappropriate and unhelpful diet regime.”

Mr Lansley manufactured his remarks as a group of overall health experts launched a campaign to lessen the quantity of sugar additional to meals and soft drinks as portion of an work to reverse the UK’s obesity and diabetes crisis.

Action on Sugar – modelled on the productive Consensus Action on Salt and Wellness (Income) – aims to aid the public avoid products ”full of hidden sugars” and encourage producers to reduce the ingredient more than time.

It says youngsters are a specifically vulnerable group who are targeted by marketers of calorie-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

Sources: ITN/information companies

Andrew Lansley: analogy amongst tobacco and sugar "inaccurate"

Andrew Lansley: it is inaccurate to claim sugar is as undesirable as smoking

”You cannot basically slash the sugar in meals otherwise individuals simply will not accept it. That is what they are searching for. I don’t consider it is aided by what I think are inaccurate analogies. I just don’t feel the analogy between sugar and tobacco is an acceptable a single.

”I think we have to realize that sugar is an vital element of food, it truly is just that sugar in extra in an inappropriate and unhelpful diet plan.”

Mr Lansley produced his remarks as a group of well being authorities launched a campaign to lessen the amount of sugar added to food and soft drinks as portion of an energy to reverse the UK’s weight problems and diabetes crisis.

Action on Sugar – modelled on the successful Consensus Action on Salt and Well being (Money) – aims to help the public stay away from items ”full of hidden sugars” and encourage makers to decrease the ingredient more than time.

It says youngsters are a particularly vulnerable group who are targeted by marketers of calorie-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

Earlier, Professor Simon Capewell, an skilled in clinical epidemiology at the University of Liverpool who is top the campaign, explained obesity and diabetes were currently costing the Uk far more than £5 billion a yr.

He explained: ”Sugar is the new tobacco. All over the place, sugary drinks and junk food items are now pressed on unsuspecting mothers and fathers and kids by a cynical market focussed on revenue not overall health.

”The weight problems epidemic is previously producing a enormous burden of ailment and death. Weight problems and diabetes previously charges the United kingdom above £5 billion each 12 months. With no regulation, these fees will exceed £50 billion by 2050.”

Like Income, Action on Sugar will set targets for the food sector to add much less sugar to merchandise more than time so that consumers do not recognize the variation in taste.

It claims that the food business would very easily achieve a twenty% to thirty% reduction in the amount of sugar added to items, which it says would consequence in a reduction of roughly 100kcal per day or a lot more in those who are notably susceptible to obesity.

It says the reduction could reverse or halt the weight problems epidemic and would also have a significant effect in minimizing persistent condition and claims the programme ”is useful, will work and will value really little”.

The group listed flavoured water, sports drinks, yoghurts, ketchup, prepared meals and even bread as just a couple of every day foods that include huge amounts of sugar.

Advisers to the group consist of Professor Robert Lustig, of the paediatric endocrinology department at the University Of California, and Assistant Professor Yoni Freedhoff from the University of Ottawa.

But Dr Victoria Burley, a senior lecturer in Nutrional Epidemiology at Leeds University, mentioned the group’s claims had been alarmist and misleading.

She explained: “It is nuts to declare that sugar is as hazardous as alcohol. It’s total hyperbole, quite crazy.

“The epidemiology for smoking triggering cancer is strong. You can search at figures and see that a single quarter of cancer deaths are linked to smoking, that is some thing like 43,000 deaths a yr.

“There is undoubtedly evidence that weight problems is linked to cancer and coronary heart condition but there is tiny proof that there is a causal hyperlink in between sugar and weight problems.

“So you can’t say with any certainty that sugar is a lead to of death. It’s really hard to perform out how much sugar people are eating for 1 factor. Several people are not conscious of their sugar intake or lie about it.

Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at Glasgow University, additional: “There is certainly proof that obesity is linked to cancer and coronary heart illness but there is minor proof that there is a causal website link between sugar and obesity.

“So you can not say with any certainty that sugar is a lead to of death. It’s extremely difficult to operate out how considerably sugar men and women are eating for a single factor. A lot of people aren’t conscious of their sugar consumption or lie about it.

Andrew Lansley: it is inaccurate to claim sugar is as undesirable as smoking