Skip to content

Subscriber Only

Prognosis

U.K. Health Service to Get Extra $7.5 Billion to Clear Backlogs

Waiting list for operations, treatment may rise to 13 million
Hospital leaders have warned of rising financial pressures

A worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine at Central Mosque of Brent in the Willesden Green district of London. — A worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine at Central Mosque of Brent in the Willesden Green district of London.
Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

By

September 6, 2021, 5:32 PM UTC

The U.K. government announced an extra 5.4 billion pounds ($7.5 billion) for the National Health Service in England over the next six months to help tackle soaring waiting lists and bolster the Covid-19 response.

The funding includes 1 billion pounds to bring down the backlog, 2.8 billion pounds to cover-related costs such as enhanced infection control measures and almost 500 million pounds to help free up hospital beds, the Department of Health and Social Care said Monday.