Reid: Defending NHS

John Reid has criticised "absurd" figures that have suggested a decline in NHS productivity.

The health secretary was speaking after the Office for National Statistics accepted that its latest data should be "interpreted with care".

An ONS paper estimated that NHS productivity had fallen on average by between zero and one per cent each year between 1995 and 2003.

It added that the uncertainty "reflects the limitations of measurement".

And the figures also indicated that over the same period, NHS output (not allowing for quality change) grew by 28 per cent at a time when NHS inputs were up by between 32 and 39 per cent.

National statistician Len Cook said the data "cannot be, and is not intended to be, a comprehensive assessment".

"We expect to continue to improve the reliability of these estimates over time," he added.

"But the limitations of measurement in this area are such that we may never have what might be regarded as definitive statistics.

"This is why we have sought to explain their limitations, as far as we know them.

"They do not measure shifts in the distribution of health care, or changes in the quality of such care. Nor do they recognise shifts in the characteristics of the population served by the health service."

Reid's reaction

Reid said the figures did not include higher levels of treatment provided by GPs, or the long term benefits of the huge increase in expenditure on drugs.

"It's absurd that the current measure of productivity does not cover the range of massive improvements that are being seen across the NHS," said the health secretary.

"The NHS is moving from a sickness service to a wellness service. The measure of its success needs to reflect the quality of care that's now being provided."

Reid added: "While the ONS productivity measure is better than previous measures, more improvements are needed since it is still outdated and lags behind NHS improvements."