A year of plenty? An analysis of NHS finances and consultant productivity
March 2017
Key points
-
Additional funding for health care was announced in the 2015 Autumn Statement. It has been front-loaded in 2015/16 and 2016/17. For this investment, primary care and mental health were stated as priorities.
- Rising costs outstripped growth in funding for NHS providers, whose financial position continued to worsen.
- Demand for care is rising faster than NHS provider income, with emergency admissions crowding out elective admissions.
- Efficiency gains are becoming increasingly difficult and are below target.
- The number of consultants has increased, but productivity has fallen.
- The NHS does not operate in isolation; system change is needed to tackle its financial problems and their root causes.
The NHS is facing unprecedented financial pressures 2.5 years after the publication of the Five year forward view.
This report analyses the finances of NHS providers and the consultant productivity of acute NHS hospitals, drawing on their annual acounts from 2009/10 to 2015/16 and linking this to wider NHS data.
Our analyses show that NHS providers saw relatively little of the income growth for the NHS as a whole, and that productivity for consultants and the wider workforce in acute hospitals has been falling.
Further reading
Research report
A perfect storm: an impossible climate for NHS providers’ finances?
This report examines the financial performance of the NHS in England, with the main focus on the finances of NHS providers an...
Research report
Hospital finances and productivity: In a critical condition?
In this report we examine the financial performance of NHS providers, focusing on hospitals.
You might also like...
Press release
Government must now 'grasp the nettle' and reform social care
Health Foundation response to the December 2019 Queen's Speech.
Press release
Today's figures show safety net of NHS at risk of breaking down
Health Foundation response to NHS England monthly performance statistics for December 2019.
Blog
If major reform of the NHS is on the horizon, can we fly less blind to its impact this time?
Can encouraging competition for clinical care improve performance in the NHS?
Get social
Health Foundation @HealthFdn
'Immigrants should not be blamed for pressures in the NHS. The reasons – unsurprisingly – are far more complex.' O… https://t.co/cdIatpYKQ0
Follow us on TwitterWork with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more