In preparation of the Autumn Budget being announced tomorrow by chancellor Rachel Reeves, 64 health and care organisations have joined together to call for reform in the third sector.
The letter, written by National Voices on behalf of its signatory members, has called for three major things if the government wants to meet its ambition of halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between those in England’s poorest regions and its most affluent.
Reforming the third sector
In short, National Voices calls for the government to:
- maintain investment in the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance;
- introduce measures to alleviate the health burden of the cost of living crisis; and
- review legacy donation mechanisms.
National Voices’ CEO, Jacob Lant, has said this budget must acknowledge the role his sector can play in the battle against health inequalities.
“This is a critical moment for many in our society and decisions taken now will have an impact felt immediately and for years to come,” he said.
“We urge the Government to use this opportunity to ensure support for those who need it most.”
Government action
In its current form, the HW Alliance has been running since April 2021 with funding due to run out next March – leaders are calling for funding to be extended one more year while the government resets its relationship with the third sector through its 10-year plan.
The letter, which was sent to Reeves as well as health secretary Wes Streeting, highlights how in the last three years more than half (57%) of all ICSs have engaged with HW Alliance projects, while 63 policy leads from teams across NHSE, DHSC, and UKHSA directly engaged with HW Alliance work projects.
The third sector has outlined five measures to relieve the cost of living burden, meanwhile. These include:
- Introducing free prescriptions, immediately starting with those with chronic conditions
- Guaranteeing an NHS dentist for all, in support of the wider prevention agenda
- Offering support for hospital parking, hospital transport, and overnight accommodation costs, to reduce health inequalities
- Extending statutory sick time periods, to support those off work due to long waiting lists
- Reimbursing energy costs for running medical equipment (dialysis machines, for example) at home as well as increased use of domestic appliances (like washing machines) and heating when this is directly linked to the management of health conditions
National Voices also calls for the government to account for the impact that any changes to inheritance tax could have on legacy donations.
Health organisations make up almost half (41%) of all legacy income, but members have expressed concerns that any changes could inadvertently reduce the volume and likelihood of legacy donations.
Read the letter in full here.
Listen to National Health Executive’s podcast with Jacob Lant below.
Image credit: iStock
