Health Foundation’s reaction to UKIP’s NHS announcement

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has set out further details of its policies for the NHS today, ahead of the general election. 

UKIP has committed to an additional £3bn to be invested into the NHS each year. However, it is not clear if or when the money would be available as UKIP says it would be ultimately funded by the UK exiting the European Union. The party has also announced plans to require compulsory private health insurance for all visitors and migrants to the UK. Such a policy would be difficult to implement and could have unintended consequences for British citizens who rely on reciprocal access to state-provided medical treatment via the European Health Insurance Card scheme.

UKIP has proposed the abolition of health regulators Monitor and the Care Quality Commission and the use of 'county health boards' instead. The Health Foundation believes there would be significant risks attached to allowing elected 'county health boards' to take over inspection and regulatory functions at a local area including inconsistency and variation, possible political interference and a dilution of specialised knowledge from national to local bodies.

Merging health and social care to enable more joined up integrated patient management has also been proposed by UKIP.

In reaction to UKIP’s announcement, Richard Taunt, Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, commented:

'UKIP have today criticised ‘endless top-down reorganisations’ but have proposed the closure of Monitor and the Care Quality Commission. It would be difficult to carry this out without what, in effect, would be a top-down reorganisation. Merging social care and health functions would not be a straight forward task and there needs to be more detail on how UKIP would blend one system which is free at the point of use with another that is subject to means-testing.

'The Health Foundation’s Three tests for a credible health policy highlights that no upheaval of administrative structures should be an election priority for politicians – further administrative structural change is likely to distract from the work needed to improve the quality of care and should be avoided at all costs. It is difficult to see how UKIP’s health policies would give the NHS stability during a period of significant financial challenge.'

Media contact

Thais Portilho, Senior Public Affairs Manager
T: 020 7257 8027
E: thais.portilho@health.org.uk