National Voices has written an open letter to the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, expressing concern that decisions to ration treatments and services will be made behind closed doors, with people not listened to.
The Autumn Budget 2017 did not deliver the funding increases that health and social care need. In subsequent statements, a number of NHS leaders have suggested the need for tough decisions about what can be afforded by – and expected of – the NHS.
National Voices warns that should those decisions be made without adequate involvement of patients and the public, they could lead to outcomes that are unfair, cause harm, or reinforce existing injustices and inequalities.