Sec of State highlights imbalance between Primary and Secondary spending

Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary laments lack of primary care investment

Shadow health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has pointed out the stark difference between spending on primary and secondary care in England.

Streeting said the NHS spent more than most other OECD countries on secondary care, but when “you look at primary care, mental health, community services, diagnostics, capital, we’re either near the bottom, at the bottom or seriously lagging behind.”

The shadow health secretary also endorsed helping patients access the care they need from ‘a wider range of healthcare professionals closer to home’.

The Independent also reported on a King’s Fund event where Mr Streeting called for early diagnosis and treatment to improve outcomes and add value for the taxpayer, focusing on shifting the focus out of the hospital into the community and improving direct referral from optometrists to ophthalmology.

FODO stated that it had made as one of the Optical Bodies these same points to MPs for some time and will spell out the route map to delivery in their published Principles and Priorities for primary eye care strategy shortly.