29.03.12
£5.8bn ‘savings’ criticised
The NHS has been charged to find £20bn productivity savings by 2015, yet initial financial results have been criticised for relying on cuts rather than efficiencies.
For the 2011-12 Q3, savings were set to have reached £5.8bn – an encouraging figure according to Department of Health officials. If this progress is maintained, the target of £20bn will be met.
But Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King’s Fund health think tank, said there was a lack of detail about where the savings were being made and suggested the money saved so far could be reliant on pay freezes and a cut in the money given to hospitals.
He said: “These would not be productivity savings, they would be cuts.”
David Flory, deputy chief executive of the NHS, said: “It is vital that the NHS does not take its eye off the ball – the NHS is performing well to meet future challenges, and must continue to do so.”
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