Report calls for NHS investment review

The government must be clear of the benefits before it commits to further NHS funding, an influential think tank has argued.

A report by the King’s Fund thinktank claims that a full and detailed review of the costs and benefits of existing policies has still not been completed.

The report states that only a few of the new policies have been evaluated, while major policies like cutting waiting times have not been fully assessed.

King’s Fund chief economist John Appleby argued that, with the government nearing the end of a period of high growth in investment, it is necessary to question the limits of funding.

“As the UK moves into the big league of healthcare spenders – but with unabated pressures to spend more – it will become increasingly important to consider in a rational and transparent way how much more we want to spend,” he said.

The report calls for more research into NHS funding. It also argues that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence should form the basis for decisions on NHS investments.

There has been a significant increase in NHS funding over the past six years and the government maintains that extra funding has been matched by reform to ensure value for money.

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