NHS bosses in England say a new 10-year plan could save up to 500,000 lives by focusing on prevention and GPs, mental health and community care will get the biggest funding increases.
The aim is to curb the reliance on hospitals, which will get a smaller cut of the budget – leading some doctors to warn they were facing a “near-on impossible task.”
The plans also include DNA testing for children with cancer, and other young people with a rare genetic disorder.
Society of Acute Medicine president Dr Nick Scriven said he was “staggered” by the plans given the problems facing hospitals.
He said, that many trusts are missing all three key waiting time targets for A&E, cancer care and routine operations, and are struggling to balance the books.