Orders of the Day — National Health Service

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 May 1953.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Aneurin Bevan Mr Aneurin Bevan , Ebbw Vale 12:00, 18 May 1953

The point that my hon. Friend is making and which the right hon. Gentleman apparently has not seen is that we can have an increase in the amount of money which he obtains from the Exchequer for the service, but it does not necessarily follow that that order of increase will reach the patients, because if a large sum is swallowed up in wage increases or on account of food price increases, and cost of maintenance increases, the whole of the increase will not ultimately reach the patients and make for a greater expansion of the National Health Service.