Sep 2008 11

Falling NHS productivity1

There has been study after study of NHS productivity since the Office for National Statistics first tried to measure health output.  Since then they have included estimates of the change in quality.  The Today programme reported this morning that their current conclusion is that in recent years there has been a roughly 2% per year decline in productivity.

Had this not taken place we would have a lot more money in our pockets and/or a lot better treatment in our hospitals.  Unfortunately, the Government’s constant boasts about ‘investment’ in the NHS, i.e. spending ever more of taxpayers’ money, show that they have only a passing interest in efficiency.  They have thrown so much money at the system that it has led to huge cost pressures, which have absorbed a large share of the extra spending.

In the end, the failure to consider real reform of the health service has wasted money and, more importantly, lives as performance in Britain continues to lag other EU countries.

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  • KEITH

    The hospital I worked in paid overtime for a member of staff to serve peas onto a plate for patients meals and the restaurant serving reduced price meals for anybody turning up! The Cambridge military Hospital Aldershot is still dealing with out-patients despite the brand new health centre being 100 yards down the road.