NHS funding to undergo its most substantial real-terms cuts since the 1970s with a 1.2% decrease amounting to £2bn.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies indicates these cuts could lead to reduced staffing, pay, or patient services.

To mitigate budget shortfalls, the government has allocated an emergency £4.4bn to the Department of Health and Social Care.

The NHS is burdened with a £4.6bn annual cost for agency workers, with efforts underway to curb this expenditure.

Liberal Democrats, doctors, and hospital leaders have voiced concern that budget cuts could significantly harm patient care.

Amidst financial challenges, the chancellor is contemplating further tax relief measures, including an extension of the fuel duty cut and potential income tax or national insurance reductions.

Healthcare professionals warn that the financial crisis, exacerbated by the proposed cuts, could critically damage the NHS and patient outcomes.

The NHS faces additional financial pressures from the cost of 15 months of strike action and a reliance on costly recruitment agencies due to a lack of trained doctors and nurses.