NHS 'needs urgent reform'
Monday, 11 Feb 2008 08:16
Reform believes the NHS can save billions of pounds and still improve
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Thinktank Reform believes the NHS is in serious decline which can only be stopped through urgent changes.
In a report published today it calls on the government to adopt an economic constitution guaranteeing value for money, a diversity of providers and patient choice.
It says up to £20 billion of annual spending on the NHS could be saved by such changes, which are necessary given the "lopsided" internal market favouring producers rather than patients.
Advocating urgent reform, report co-author Andrew Haldenby said: "Given the position of the public finances, it is the only possible route to new investment and improvement."
Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Norman Lamb said the report should act as a "wake-up call" to the government, which is currently undergoing a landmark review of the NHS.
The Department for Health did not comment on the report prior to its publication.