04.07.12
IFS and Nuffield Trust report on NHS spending
Source: Lee Hull, director, public sector, at Virgin Media Business
The buckle on the NHS spending belt is bracing for another squeeze. The IFS has warned today of a decade-long period of austerity up ahead – the likes of which we’ve not seen for 50 years.
The financial situation clearly isn’t going to improve any time soon, and without anyone to swoop in and save the day, the NHS has got to do it alone. But it's not all doom and gloom. Creativity can blossom in adversity and there are signs that the NHS can do just that. The advances in telehealth are a great example of this.
Huge cost savings are being made alongside technological innovation – in fact, it’s predicted that £8m could be saved by the NHS each year with telehealth services. It’s this kind of forward-thinking that will help the NHS navigate through the stormy period of on-going budget squeezes.
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