For England, the Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock announced a further £7 billion for NHS and social care services. In Wales, this will result in an additional £400 million of additional UK Government funding for the NHS.
In total, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive £1.3 billion new funding. The funding breakdown is determined by the Barnett formula and it is up to the devolved administrations how they spend the money. When England receives additional funding, the Barnett formula ensures Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all receive an equivalent share of funding.
In England, the investment will support the continuation of the NHS response to COVID-19, and the recovery of elective services as hospitalisations continue to fall, as well as infection control measures in adult social care, and a hospital discharge programme to help free up staff and beds.
Importantly, this additional £400m uplift will also provides additional certainty for Welsh Government in the months ahead to continue to plan and deliver its own pandemic response. My hope is that, in this same way that this funding has already been allocated in England, the Welsh Government will quickly allocate this funding to those services and areas of the NHS that require it the most given the present strain.
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