The Prime Minister has said he will be giving a cash injection of £850million to add hundreds of new hospital beds and improve facilities in 20 hospitals across the country, according to The Sunday Telegraph. The money is part of a £1.8billion funding boost for the NHS in addition to the £20billion-a-year former Prime Minister Theresa May also pledged for the NHS. A Downing Street spokesman said the money will be provided by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond’s £26.6billion “fiscal headroom”.
Mr Johnson has already dipped into the fund by nearly £4billion which also includes money for no deal preparations.
During the leadership campaign, Mr Hammond warned the next Prime Minister not to spend the allocated war chest, which he expected to be wiped out if we left the EU without a deal.
The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust will receive £21.3million to improve its A&E facilities, while University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust will be given £17.6million for three new wards and 84 new hospital beds.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has vowed that unless Mr Johnson ousted the former Prime Minister’s deal, his party would “fight him in every seat.”
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Mr Johnson said: “I made it my immediate task to make sure frontline services have the funding they need, to make a real difference to the lives of NHS staff, and above all, of patients.
“Today I’m delivering on this promise with a £1.8 billion cash injection – meaning more beds, new wards, and extra life-saving equipment to ensure patients continue to receive world-class care.“
Health secretary Matt Hancock also said he will set out changes to doctors’ pensions.
The new funding pledges come amid expectations that the government is on a pre-election footing.
It comes as Mr Johnson’s majority fell to just one after the Tories lost the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.
One Tory MP told The Daily Telegraph that two thirds of Tory MPs expect to see a general election by the spring.
Tory party chairman James Cleverly also refused to rule out an election this year.
Mr Cleverly was asked by Sky News if there would be an election this year in which he replied: “We are not going to initiate a general election”.
He continued: “What we’ve got is a new Prime Minister who during the leadership campaign made a number of explicit commitments and he is setting about delivering on those commitments.”
