After a decade of tight funding settlements and the Covid-19 pandemic, Wes Streeting is the latest health secretary trying to improve NHS productivity. But what can the government do to ensure the NHS spends its budget – due to be more than £200bn in 2025/26 – more effectively?

This event, held in partnership with the Health Foundation, explored what the NHS can do to improve productivity – which is vital to improve the quality of services for patients, ensure the NHS is financially sustainable and provide value for money for taxpayers.

What improvements in productivity and health outcomes can technology really deliver? What lessons are there from previous governments’ attempts to make efficiency savings? What options does Streeting really have to drive through reforms? What effect – if any – will the abolition of NHS England and cuts to integrated care boards’ budgets have on driving productivity to improve performance?

To discuss these questions and more, we were joined by an expert panel including:

Helen Buckingham, Chair of Trustees at National Voices

Anita Charlesworth, Senior Economic Advisor at the Health Foundation

Caroline Clarke, Regional Director of the NHS in London

Rachel Sylvester, Political Editor at the Observer

The event was chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event was held in partnership with The Health Foundation.