Better Value in the NHS report

The report, Better Value in the NHS, has said that despite the savings that GPs make for the NHS, believed to be about £7 billion in the last 40 years, GPs should be able to reduce costs further by reducing over diagnosing and inappropriate prescribing, thus saving millions of pounds.

The report says that focusing on the monetary value of the challenges ahead risks missing the real essence of the task facing the NHS, which is about getting better value from the NHS budget. Looking back at past trends in NHS productivity and drawing on evidence that illustrates a number of areas where NHS services can be improved in the future, the report provides recommends areas where health outcomes can be maximised, while the costs can be minimised.

Suggesting that GPs could save money by better identification and management of mental health issues at an early stage, the report claims that measures to reduce cost of clinical practice were particularly important in light of NHS England’s goal of saving a further £22bn off the NHS budget over the next five years.

One way in which costs can be minimised is through addressing inappropriate care. This happens when care is delivered even though the potential for harm outweighs the benefits (overuse); when effective care is not delivered but should be to provide a better outcome (underuse); and when care is poorly delivered leading to preventable complications or harm (misuse).

The report said: ‘Although the Conservative Government has made a welcome commitment to increase funding by at least £8bn in real terms by 2020/21, this will not be sufficient to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population and to pay for advances in treatment. It is therefore all the more important that the NHS redoubles its efforts to deliver better value in the ways we describe.’

Read the report