What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Theresa May's "incorrect" claim she is pumping £10bn into the NHS risks misleading the public, two powerful Tory MPs warn today.

They say the figure gives the “false impression” the health service is “awash with cash” and have demanded fresh funding in next month's Autumn Statement.

Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the Commons Health Committee, joins Tory committee member Dr James Davies in the mutiny today against Chancellor Philip Hammond.

The Prime Minister and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt have repeatedly made the £10bn spending claim.

Just weeks ago Mrs May told the Tory conference her party was "investing an extra £10bn in the NHS – more than its leaders asked for".

But the MPs say the real figure is £4.5bn over five years because of billions in cuts to other health and care budgets.

They warn Chancellor Philip Hammond of a looming “crisis” in social care unless he pledges new funding at his Statement on November 23.

Together with three other Health Committee members from Labour and the SNP, they have written to Mr Hammond warning the adult social care sector is nearing “tipping point”.

They say overall, the increase to total health spending in England will be £6billion from 2014-15 to 2020-21 - or £4.5billion over the current spending review of 2015-16 to 2020-21.

Dr Wollaston, a GP, said: “The continued use of the figure of £10billion for the additional health spending up to 2020-21 is not only incorrect but risks giving a false impression that the NHS is awash with cash.

“This figure is often combined with a claim that the Government ‘has given the NHS what it asked for’.

“Again, this claim does not stand up to scrutiny as NHS England spending cannot be seen in isolation for other key areas of health spending.”

Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said last night: “It’s totally disingenuous and misleading for Jeremy Hunt and Theresa May to claim they’ve given the NHS £10billion when it’s manifestly untrue - and Dr Sarah Wollaston is right to take them to task for it.

“This Health Select Committee letter raises very serious questions about the sustainability of our health and social care system without extra funding.”

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson praised the committee’s “clear-sighted analysis”.

He said: “The gap between what the NHS is being asked to deliver and the funding it has available is too big and is growing rapidly.

“The committee has identified what has long been troubling those who run our hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services – in the face of spiralling demand for care from an older population with more complex needs, there is a big risk that the NHS will not be able to maintain services at current levels, let alone improve them.

“The government’s £10billion increase is in reality closer to £4.5billion, while the average amount we spend on health care for each person in this country will level-off in 2017-18 and will actually fall in 2018-19.”

The Nuffield Trust health think-tank’ warned that the NHS budget for buildings and other infrastructure was “repeatedly raided to absorb wider deficits”.

Its chief economist John Appleby added: “Years of under-investment have left a serious backlog in the maintenance of NHS buildings and estates.”

A Government spokesman said: “The Government has backed the NHS’s own plan for the future with a £10billion real-terms increase in its funding a year by 2020/2021, helping to ease the pressures on hospitals, GPs and mental health services.

“It is wrong to suggest otherwise.”