The country’s official statistics watchdog on Tuesday warned the government to stop claiming that real-terms NHS spending had increased after calculating funds had actually fallen.
The UK Statistics Authority said Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt should “clarify” claims on the Conservative party website that “we have increased the NHS budget in real terms in each of the last two years”.
Andrew Dilnot, the authority’s chairman, upheld a complaint made by the Labour party about the claims after concluding that health spending was slightly lower in 2011-12 than in 2009-10, but accepted there were “questions of definition”.
In a letter to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Dilnot wrote: “Given the small size of the changes and the uncertainties associated with them, it might also be fair to say that real-terms expenditure had changed little over this period.
“In light of this, I should be grateful if the Department of Health could clarify the statements made.”
Government warned over NHS spending claims
