The Autumn Budget
The UK Government’s Autumn Budget 2024 is packed with funding promises to improve healthcare, but how will it impact those living with inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs)?
Let’s break down what this budget could mean and explore where there’s room for more work!
Expanding NHS Budgets to boost appointments
The budget includes £2.4 billion for the NHS to deliver two million extra NHS operations, scans and appointments a year.
This is a significant step towards cutting NHS waiting times and to potentially ensuring a faster diagnosis for people living with rare diseases, critically important given that the average wait time for an accurate rare dieases diagnosis stands at 5-9 years.
While this funding is a positive move, it’s essential to consider how it will be implemented. The NHS is currently facing challenges, such as workforce shortages and the need for updated infrastructure, which could impact how quickly and effectively these new services can be rolled out
Financial relief for social care
The government will provide £600 million of new grant funding to support social care. This funding may enable local authorities to enhance services such as personal care and dietary management, addressing the needs of those living with IMDs.
However, there are still concerns about whether this amount will be enough to cover rising costs and ensure that care services remain sustainable in the long run. Additionally, how this funding is distributed can vary widely between regions, meaning some areas might see significant improvements while others may lag behind.
Support for carers
The Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit will be raised from £151 per week after deductions to £196 to improve financial security for carers to support them into work or to work more hours if they choose.
This is a positive step but does not go far enough. Beyond raising the Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit, the government should enhance support for carers to improve their ability to enter the workforce. This could take the form of working collaboratively with patient prganisations to raise awareness about the challenges carers face.
Workplace adjustments should also be offered as well as subsidised respite care to allow carers to pursue employment or training without added stress.
Expanding mental health support through centres
The budget commits to provide £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres.
This is important for our communities as living with a rare disease significantly impacts on mental health. > 90% of respondents to a survey of 1795 people affected by rare disease reported that they had felt felt worried/anxious; stressed; and /or low/depressed. This need was further reflected in our Thoughts into Action report in which a respondent put the lack of services into context: “It can be a very lonely, stressful time. So the [online community] sometimes is just the only place where you can feel and just sit there and have a rant.”
While the funding for new mental health crisis centres is a positive step, it’s important to recognise that there are still significant gaps in mental health services overall. These centres will provide much-needed immediate support, but many regions still lack sufficient resources for ongoing mental health care. Access can vary widely, and without a solid plan to integrate these new centres into the existing mental health framework, the benefits might not be fully realised. Specifically for people living with IMDs, if people are able to access mental health services specifically for their conditions, these services fail to meet interntational guidelines and have issues in geographical access and availability of experts.
Research and development
The budget aims to boost investment by over £100 billion over the next five years, including in research and development (R&D) with specific focus on supporting scientific breakthroughs.
This increase in funding could potentially lead to new treatments and improved diagnostic tools tailored specifically for rare diseases. Although this is positive, it is important to note the barriers to developing treatments for rare diseases including difficulties in generating effectiveness data, high development costs and regulatory hurdles.
Support for SEND
The government has allocated £1 billion towards supporting the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
This funding could enhance resources and services, ensuring that children receive the tailored support they require to thrive in their learning environments. It may be used to improve training for educators, increase access to specialist staff, and develop more inclusive classroom practices, ultimately leading to better educational outcomes.
Sustained investment will be crucial for making long-term changes, as will a strategy that addresses systemic issues and ensures that funds are effectively allocated. Additionally, ongoing collaboration with families, educators, healthcare professionals and patient organisations is essential to identify priorities and ensure that the support provided meets the diverse needs of children with SEND
Want to learn more?
Read the government’s full Autumn Budget by clicking the button below:
