Anita Charlesworth
Anita Charlesworth is director of research and REAL Centre at the Health Foundation
CommentThe chancellor’s spending squeeze signals a long period of austerity
While the chancellor is going big on the rescue phase of covid, the Budget was silent on how to recover health and social care after the pandemic, writes Anita Charlesworth
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The government's grasp of the NHS's recovery challenge is questionable
The spending review raises real concerns about whether the government fully grasps the scale of the recovery challenge, writes Anita Charlesworth
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It is policy not demographics that drives NHS funding choices
One of the big short-term decisions with very long-term consequences is the capital allocation for the NHS in this autumn’s spending review and prioritising backlog of elective care, writes Anita Charlesworth
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Health and care workforce being hollowed out
For the foreseeable future the NHS and social care system will be very reliant on international workers to prevent staffing shortages from impacting on patient care and acting as a brake on ambitions to improve quality, writes Anita Charlesworth
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Spending round leaves questions about health and social care’s future unresolved
The chancellor’s announcement signalled the worst of austerity may be over, but that doesn’t mean we now have a clear plan for future public spending and reform. By Anita Charlesworth
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The NHS must focus on becoming a better employer
Anita Charlesworth, Candace Imison and Richard Murray look in detail at solutions across the different policy levers for workforce, including training, pay, staff retention and skill mix
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Workforce shortages are a greater challenge to the NHS than funding
Lack of skilled staff is already impacting access and quality of care, and without a shift in workforce policy the situation will worsen over the next decade, warn Anita Charlesworth, Candace Imison and Richard Murray
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The chancellor got lucky this Budget but can that luck hold?
Anita Charlesworth notes that the chancellor narrowly avoided the impossible political choice of making good on the extra £20.5bn promised for the NHS with tax increases but the underlying reality remains unchanged
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Running to stand still
In light of the extra £20.5bn NHS funding, Anita Charlesworth outlines the various cost pressures that will likely consume most of the extra funding before improvements in quality and access can materialise
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Future healthcare funding will require tax increases
Anita Charlesworth discusses the dilemma facing the government: improving the quality of the health service through a rise in healthcare spend or increasing the low level of taxes
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Spring statement: Tough choices ahead for the government
Anita Charlesworth discusses the implications of the recently released spring statement for the NHS and social care
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The budget was more positive than expected
Overall for the NHS, this Budget was much better than feared but not nearly as good as it needed to be. By Anita Charlesworth, John Appleby and Siva Anandaciva
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Brexit may be dominating political debate, but the NHS cannot be ignored
Party conference season saw some positive noises about politicians’ plans for the NHS. But serious issues have still not been addressed, says Anita Charlesworth
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Brexit is only partly to blame for the nursing shortfall
The fears about Brexit reducing the flow of nurses from the EU are justified but the other half of the picture is that we have been reliant for too long on overseas staff, write Anita Charlesworth and Professor Jim Buchan
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Three unavoidable challenges ahead for the NHS and social care
Any incoming government must address this trio of fundamental issues if health and social care are to be sustained, says Anita Charlesworth
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Only the Budget can prevent an impossible task
The latest figures on NHS providers’ deficit are not surprising but they are very worrying – Anita Charlesworth analyses why
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Are we prepared to pay more for healthcare?
The fiscal sustainability report of the government’s economic forecasting body poses specific challenges regarding healthcare spending and improved productivity in the NHS
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No jam today, and no jam tomorrow either
Policy ambition and public funding don’t add up in either the short or long term – and the result spells long-term economic trouble
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Shrinking pies and other challenges for the NHS in Wales
Even with the extra funding pledged in the latest spending plans for Wales, it is crucial that Wales focuses on integrated care if it is to weather the tough times ahead
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The NHS has been left with no financial wriggle room
The close accounting scrapes by the Department of Health may be fascinating but what is the longer term picture on spending likely to be
