13.12.12
On track?
While the NAO has confirmed that the NHS has made a “good start” to the £20bn efficiency savings needed by 2015, there are a number of issues raised in its recent report.
For one thing, there is the possibility that the money saved is not at the level it has been reported at. Without independent verification, the notion that the NHS is on track is based on managers’ confirmation – who would be under significant pressure to deliver the right amount.
And now that the ‘easy’ savings have been made, it is not clear how sustainable cuts and efficiencies will be in the next few years, or what affect they will have on patient safety and care.
It is a good start, far better than many would have predicted, but it does not make the rest of the journey any easier.
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