Investment in the nation’s health must be central to lasting economic growth
Responding to the Chancellor's Budget, Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said:
'With limited fiscal room for manoeuvre and a Spending Review to follow next year, this was never going to be a headline-grabbing Budget. Despite this, it sends some important signals on prevention, fiscal devolution and NHS productivity.
'We welcome the announcement of an independent review of productivity and AI in the NHS. With public spending likely to continue to be constrained for the foreseeable future, this is an opportunity to build on the groundwork laid by our NHS Productivity Commission and ensure that improving productivity is mission critical for the NHS.
'An early priority should be developing the infrastructure needed to test and evaluate AI and other innovations that could improve the quality of care for patients and its cost effectiveness. Government also needs to quickly resolve the latest distracting NHS reorganisation that is draining the time and energy of the health service and invest in the basics for better productivity, like modern facilities and support for staff to improve care.
'The commitment to introduce a new category of preventative public spending is significant and a proposal the Foundation has championed. This will help prioritise spending with long-term benefits and avoid the mistakes of the past where spending on prevention has been a casualty of pressures on day-to-day budgets and short-term thinking.
'The fiscal devolution roadmap can help empower local areas to make choices that improve local conditions and support better health over the long term. We welcome the commitment to ensuring that mechanisms are in place to prevent inequalities widening between areas.
'At its core, the cost-of-living crisis is a health crisis. Measures that support households facing rising energy costs offer welcome breathing space, but long-term action is also needed to rebuild the nation’s health as a central pillar of its growth strategy.'
Media contact
Nadine Sheikh-Sobeh
Nadine.sheikh-sobeh@health.org.uk
020 8152 8120