Demonstrators called on the government to defend the NHS during a protest outside parliament at the weekend. The chancellor has dashed hopes of extra funding ANDY RAIN/EPAPhilip Hammond said yesterday that there would be no new money for the NHS in Wednesday’s budget, facing down pressure from Labour and brandishing his credentials as a fiscal conservative. The chancellor insisted that there would be “no spending sprees” as he promised to put more cash into social care alongside a wide-ranging review, but made it clear that he was not contemplating extra cash for the NHS. Mr Hammond challenged the service to reform, saying that he believed that only a minority of trusts were experiencing severe financial difficulties. He told the BBC: “There are many examples around the country of extremely good working between the NHS and social care authorities.

Source: The Times March 06, 2017 00:02 UTC