07 May 2004
The NHS Confederation welcomes today's confirmation that extra investment in the NHS is producing vastly improved results to patients, as detailed in the Chief Executive's report to the NHS, but calls for attention to focus on the quality of care rather than a debate around statistics.
Nigel Edwards, Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation, said: "Today's report gives the lie to claims that extra investment in the NHS has been a waste of money. Major improvements in waiting times and the quality of treatment are the product of hard work from all clinicians, managers and support staff in the NHS.
Nigel added: "A review of the measure of NHS efficiency is long overdue because current statistics simply fail to include the work of vast sections of the service. There are good reasons why the growth in productivity should be less than the increase in spending on the NHS. The large majority of patients have long term conditions. Additional funding has allowed us to treat these patients more appropriately in particular by using more modern medicines. The aim is to give this group of patients better treatment rather than simply more of the same. The current crude number crunching approach to productivity completely fails to capture this sort of improvement.
"Similarly, the NHS has had much to do to rectify the shortcomings and false economies of many years of under funding. Over the last few years, for example, hospitals have been investing heavily in improved cleaning, patient food, better nurse staffing ratios and other quality improvements that whilst vital do nothing for productivity using the current measures."
ENDS
The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; trusts and NHS boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
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Last reviewed 3 Nov 2006