Election special: NHS budget, community services and the workforce question

It’s been a busy week in the world of UK politics, we’ve seen pledges to boost NHS community services, progress the New Hospital Programme and reform social care by introducing free personal care. But what do these pledges really mean?   Join Andrew McCracken, Sally Warren and Siva Anandaciva as we delve into the Conservative Party’s plan to bolster community services and outline the debate on the health and care workforce so far. Plus, we answer a listener question: should we redefine what we count as ‘NHS’ or ‘health’ spend, and is there ever a case where ring-fencing budget is a good thing?   Want to get involved? Send us your general election questions via email, X (formerly known as Twitter) @TheKingsFund or LinkedIn. Related resources General election 2024: 28 days and counting  The NHS budget and how it has changed (data explainer)  ‘Topic avoidance’: how the main parties will avoid talking about social care at this general election  Making care closer to home a reality (report)