Simon Jones: Managed decline

Optical professional bodies fell into line this week by welcoming Chancellor of the Exchequer’s spending review, which included an extra £29bn a year for the NHS. Between the lines, though, there was a sense that the government needed fewer words and more action. 

Twenty-nine billion pounds sounds like a lot of money, but it’s a drop in the ocean to large scale infrastructure like the NHS. The £29bn figure also compares favourably to other cabinet departments, such as policing and education. It’s easy to see this as a big win for healthcare, but some context is helpful.