The NHS’s capital spending allowance appears to have fallen by £500 million in a matter of months, following the publication of Alistair Darling’s pre-Budget Report.

Capital spending levels for 2008-2011 had been set at £15 billion in April’s budget. But in the updated figures, it now comes in at just £14.5 billion.

Nevertheless, the Chancellor did appear to match the Conservative party’s pledge to support the health service despite future pressure on public finances.

“Not only will we increase spending next year  but we can also pledge spending on these frontline services will rise ... for two years from 2011,” said Darling, “... so that we can improve the public services we said we would.

"NHS spending in England has more than doubled in real terms since 1997. In assessing the resources needed to maintain high-quality healthcare, NHS near-cash frontline spending – the 95 per cent of spending that supports patient care – will rise in line with inflation in 2011-12 and 2012-13."