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This week saw Westminster abuzz as Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered what was promised to be the “last Spring Budget”. In the world of health, there was little to celebrate, although, unlike the radio silence on Brexit, we did see a token nod towards the need to find additional funds for the NHS and social care systems – but few real solutions offered up.

As anticipated, and following further interrogation from Corbyn during PMQs on the rumoured Surrey “sweetheart deal”, the Chancellor announced an extra £2 billion for social care by 2020, half of which will be frontloaded into 2017-18. This investment has been hard fought and long-awaited, with influential organisations and individuals from across the health and care sectors calling for a tangible solution to the crisis in social care.

We have also been told to expect a green paper later in the year setting out how the social care system can be put on a sustainable footing for the long term. However, the age-old question remains as to whether this will be too little, too late for a sector under growing strain.

Surprise announcements for the NHS included £325 million over the next three years to support capital investments for the “strongest” Sustainability and Transformation Plans. Whilst unexpected, the funding is conditional on the local NHS “playing its part” and giving back to the health service by raising proceeds from unused lands. Whilst capital investment had been mooted, NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens had recently put on record his scepticism of any inclusion of this in the Budget – perhaps a significant win for the NHS in its ongoing dispute with Number 10?

In addition, £100 million has been set aside to shore up A&Es for the winter by rolling out the use of GP triage in emergency departments. This move has raised eyebrows from a stretched GP workforce, given general practice is yet to see the Government deliver its election commitment to recruiting 5,000 more GPs.

On the public health front, whilst facing continued year-on-year budget cuts, the good news is the soft drinks levy has already been so effective in encouraging industry to reduce sugar levels that, prior to any implementation, the projected revenue from the sugar tax has been revised down to £385 million per year. This comes days after the Department for Education committed £415 million of sugar tax revenue to support schools tackle childhood obesity. A bittersweet success for the Government?

This week also saw Simon Stevens once again sitting across from Meg Hillier and the Public Accounts Committee, this time to report on access to general practice – a timely topic given the Budget announcement to station GPs in A&E departments. Headlines from this appearance included a demand that every practice publish waiting times to ensure greater transparency and patient choice. “It will be good for patients, it will be good for GPs”, Simon says, raising further concerns from the GP community on the ever-increasing demands facing general practice.

With the Budget excitement over for another eight months, business as usual resumes next week in Westminster.