by Niall Christie

Scotland editor

EXPERTS have told the government that it must increase income tax, national insurance and VAT to secure the future of the NHS and social care across Britain. 

A report by the London School of Economics (LSE) and Political Science–Lancet Commission on the future of the NHS said that UK healthcare spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) is lower than average spend across other G7 countries.

It argued that the Covid pandemic has brought out the best and worst in the NHS — offering protection to people in different regions but showing poor integration between the NHS and social care, chronic underfunding of social care and too few staff.

In its new report, the Commission offers a long-term solution to NHS troubles with seven main recommendations, including “yearly increases in funding of at least 4 per cent in real terms” for health, social care and public health over the next decade.

The group said that increasing income tax, national insurance and VAT by 1p would allow for significant investment in public services. 

Commission co-chairman LSE Professor Elias Mossialos said: “For the NHS to be truly the envy of the world again, politicians will need to be honest with the public that this will require increased taxation to meet the funding levels of other comparable high-income countries.”

Alongside this long-term funding commitment, the Commission recommends a one-off, multi-billion pound injection in social care spending and public health.

On staffing, the UK is falling behind in terms of resources, according to the study, with around 200,000 staff vacancies in England alone. 

Co-research lead LSE researcher Dr Michael Anderson said: “The NHS is under our custodianship and we have a responsibility to current and future generations to secure its long-term survival.”