The NHS could be facing difficult times ahead without a crucial injection of funds, according to several Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative chair of the Commons health select committee, says the ageing population is placing the NHS under a great deal of strain and an increase of funding would be necessary to avoid any services being compromised.

She said: “We know that over the next few years, we are going to run into a real crunch time with funding and what’s necessary now is for NHS England to set out very clearly what can be achieved within various funding limits.”

Dr Wollaston went on to say that she would “[…] like to see services continue to improve, so I think in order to achieve that we are going to need an increase in funding”

Paul Burstow, former Liberal Democrat health minister, says an extra £15 billion the next five years is essential.
The MPs comments echo NHS England’s chief executive’s sentiments earlier in April when he remarked “budget crunch in its 66-year history”.