Another day, another deficit announcement from the NHS. The latest figure is £2.45bn overspend for 2015/16, £461m worse than envisaged.

A separate study on health finances this week from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) suggests the annual shortfall in the NHS budget will be at least £5bn by 2020 and as much as £16bn. The Government estimates that the total shortfall by then will be £30bn less efficiency savings of £22bn, leaving a £8bn gap, which the 2015 Spending Review pledged to fund.

CIPFA however reckons it will be a £35bn-£40bn shortfall with savings of £16bn-£22bn, leaving a gap of £13bn-£24bn. Judging by the figures so far, I would tend to err on CIPFA's side.