Lords committee criticises lack of long-term approach to NHS planning

A House of Lords committee has criticised the Department of Health for its failure to adopt a long-term approach to NHS planning.

The Lords Select Committee on the Long-Term Sustainability of the NHS has accused successive governments of failing to put in place the forward-thinking changes needed to ensure the health service remains tax-funded and free at the point of use.

It called for a new independent body, the Office for Health and Care Sustainability, to be established and handed a similar remit to the Office for Budget Responsibility, helping ministers to look ahead and plan 15 to 20 years into the future.

The report also called for NHS spending to rise at least as fast as GDP for ten years after 2020, with increased pay for lower-salaried workers a key priority, while the Department of Health should be responsible for managing both the health and adult social care budgets.

Lord Patel, a crossbench peer and obstetrician involved in the report, said: "There is a shocking lack of long-term strategic planning in the NHS. This shortsightedness stems from the political importance of the NHS and the temptation for politicians to reach for short-term fixes, not long-term solutions."

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