Doctors have expressed disappointment at the lack of focus on the healthcare sector in the Autumn Budget, particularly given that the Labour government has repeatedly emphasised that revitalising the National Health Service (NHS) is a core focus of its agenda.
Delivering the Budget, which mainly centred on the cost-of-living crisis, on 28 October, Healey pledged £190m to the NHS in England to assist with meeting the demands of winter pressures, with £100m assigned to advance the expansion of medical robotics and robot-assisted surgery.
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Research from March 2026 indicates that as of 2024, 67% of 149 NHS Trusts surveyed in a cross-sectional study used surgical robots, with 212 operational across those surveyed.
Pointing out that the fund allocations for the NHS totalled “much less” than in previous years, Tom Dolphin, the British Medical Association’s (BMA) council chair, said: “For a government that claims to put the NHS at the heart of its priorities, this budget falls worryingly short.
“The failure to set out meaningful action to tackle crumbling buildings or ensure we have enough doctors to meet future demand raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to the health service’s long-term future.”
Despite winter funding being included in the budget, the lack of year-round resources is a worry, Dolphin added. “Temporary fixes merely paper over the cracks, doing little to bring about the systemic change needed to take the service off life support,” Dolphin said.
Autumn Budget outlines NHS AI and productivity review
In alignment with the 10-year plan for the NHS that is focused on transforming the health service from a ‘sick service’ to one that is preventative, Labour’s Autumn Budget document also outlined plans to initiate a review into the role artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies can play in advancing patient services and boosting NHS productivity.
Upon the 10-year plan’s announcement in July 2025, with then chancellor Rachel Reeves revealing that the NHS is set to receive a £29bn funding boost over the next three years, the former chancellor announced that £10bn ($13.5bn) of the total NHS funding was earmarked to bring the “analogue health system into the digital age”.
According to the 2026 Budget document, this review will be led by Mark Bailie, non-executive director at NHS England, who will report back to the government in early 2027, with the mooted review’s findings set to inform the next spending review for the NHS.
“The government’s review of NHS productivity and AI is an important opportunity to explore how technology can transform healthcare delivery and make better use of clinical resources,” commented Steve Brown, commercial director at Teladoc Health UK.
“If the government is serious about creating a more productive NHS, it must look beyond investment in hospitals and recognise the role preventative and workplace healthcare can play in improving access to care,” Brown continued.
Commenting on the AI and productivity review, Theresa Shapland, Resmed UK country manager, noted that the plan comes as a “timely reminder” that improving healthcare outcomes requires “both smarter use of technology and greater attention to the patient journey”.
“Digital diagnostic pathways can help reduce administrative burden, make better use of existing resources and enable patients to access appropriate care sooner. Not all improvements in patient journeys require significant capital investment,” Shapland said.
