The SNP highlights risk of even bigger "austerity cuts" of unfunded extra cash for NHS

The Conservatives have been attacked for an "unfunded" pledge to invest an extra £8bn in the NHS which the nationalists say would mean even harsher austerity for other services.

The Chancellor George Osborne today came off the fence over funding for the NHS and, as challenged by the Lib Dems, committed to providing the funding recommended by NHS bosses - and also claimed that the other main parties were against such special treatment for the NHS.

The SNP says it would support additional funding for the NHS, but that meeting such a commitment whilst continuing with a "damaging austerity agenda" would mean more cuts for all other budgets.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: "We must protect and invest in our NHS but funding that investment through cuts to social care or other public spending will only increase the pressure on the health service."

The Lib Dems joined the attack, saying the Conservatives' "ideological obsession with cutting the size of the state means they cannot afford their spending commitment on the NHS without further unnecessary cuts to unprotected government departments".

 

The Institute of Fiscal Studies has said that if the NHS, schools and international aid are protected whilst reducing departmental spending by as much as laid out by the Conservatives, transport, local government and other unprotected departments would face a 26% cut after 2015/16. This would be bigger if spending was to increase elsewhere without additional tax rises.