NHS must stop prioritising staff convenience over public health |
Falling productivity, striking doctors and a refusal to embrace new technology: the NHS is not run for ‘us’, but the convenience of its staff, writes Paul Ormerod
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released yet another gloomy estimate of economic data last week. It is one which has profound implications for the Starmer government.
In the three months from April to June, productivity in the public sector fell by 0.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. In other words, the public sector has become less efficient than it was in the run up to the general election.
We can never read too much into a single number relating to a single quarter. But the general trend is clear. According to the ONS, in 2024 public sector productivity was three per cent lower than it was immediately before the pandemic in 2019.
Over a much longer period, the productivity of the sector is estimated to be similar to what it was in 1997. Over a period of almost 30 years, there have been no overall gains in efficiency in the public sector.
News Updates
Stay ahead with our three daily........