Fact checks, analysis and comment about the National Health Service.
Health
About 18% of total public expenditure goes to health, though health accounts for almost 40% of day-to-day departmental budgeted spending. Read
Health
An interactive report available on the NHS England website claims to show the number of patients awaiting treatment, but uses figures for the number of cases instead. Read
Health
It doesn’t include the junior doctors’ strikes in the summer of 2024, and the overall cost would include a range of other factors. Read
Health
The government hasn’t said what data his claim was based on, but he may have been referring to figures from a Labour party FOI request in 2022. Read
Health
Tobacco duties generate around four to five times as much money as smoking costs the NHS to treat. Read
Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Liberal Democrats have claimed about a seventh of all Scots are waiting for treatment or tests. Read
The leaders of five parties in Scotland faced audience questions during an hour-long episode of BBC Debate Night. Read
Health
There are about 7.5 million cases on the main NHS England waiting list—but only about 6.3 million people waiting. Some people are waiting for more than one thing. Read
Health
A charity’s claim that 10,000 children could develop encephalitis as a result of catching measles is based on an incorrect NHS estimate for the number of “unprotected” children. Read
Health
Figures quoted by presenter Naga Munchetty last week refer to the number of cases, not people. Read
