Why the NHS is failing

The NHS is swallowing more money than ever, yet delivering worse results. Now its failings are not only hurting patients, but also weighing down the economy. Employment in healthcare, said the Bank of England in last week’s Monetary Policy Report, has surged since 2019, while productivity has dropped. The Bank downgraded its 2025 growth forecast for the country from 1.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent, blaming the public sector – which has ballooned in size and shrunk in effectiveness – and healthcare in particular.

After thirty years working in medicine, I’m not surprised. I have seen a few genuine improvements, but I have also seen the NHS become far more bloated and less efficient. In hospitals, more doctors – and, in particular, more senior ones – look after fewer patients. Most of the NHS’s budget is spent on staffing, and some of this extra spend has brought worthwhile benefits. Much, however, has not, and reliable data to tell the difference neither exists, nor has ever been seriously sought.