Funding the Future Why is the government sacking doctors?
Dec 5, 2025
Trained doctors in the UK are left unemployed due to government funding cuts, creating a healthcare crisis. Richard Murphy highlights the abundance of resources and discusses how monetary policy can support hiring more doctors. He critiques austerity measures as a political choice that harms public health. The conversation emphasizes that employing doctors would not worsen inflation, and immediate solutions are essential. Murphy calls for political accountability, urging voters to support those who prioritize healthcare funding.
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Government Choice Creates Doctor Unemployment
- The UK government is choosing austerity that leaves trained doctors unemployed despite existing demand for care.
- Richard Murphy argues the state can create money to employ spare medical capacity without causing inflation in this scenario.
Money Creation Can Fund Unused Medical Capacity
- Murphy states the government can literally tell the Bank of England to create money to pay unemployed doctors if resources exist.
- He says employing them would likely increase tax receipts and improve government finances rather than worsen inflation.
Fiscal Dogma Overrules Public Need
- Murphy links the refusal to employ doctors to political dogma enforced by bodies like the Office for Budget Responsibility.
- He frames the choice as ideological prioritising of fiscal targets over immediate public need.