20 February 2002 Number 15

 

Subject

 

Response to the WanlessInterim Report.

 

Background

 

In March 2001 the Chancellorof the Exchequer asked Derek Wanless, former head of NatWest Bank, to examinetrends and identify the key factors that will affect the health service in theUK over the next 20 years. The reviewwill influence decisions in the Chancellors next Public Spending Review inJune. The Wanless Interim Report wasput out for public consultation in November 2001 and BUPA was asked to respond.

 

BUPAs position

 

BUPA has undertaken asimilar piece of research to the Wanless inquiry. Our findings agree with most of those of Wanless, particularly onwhat will be the main reasons for NHS spending in the coming 20 years(technology, patient expectations, disease patterns, population changes andstaffing resources).

 

Of these, the significanttrends to affect the NHS will be the adoption of new technology and meeting thegrowing expectations of patients. Inits submission BUPA warned that both will place heavy burdens on healthcareresources. The health service hassuffered from major under-investment and is late, slow and uneven in itsadoption of new technology.

 

One of BUPAs mostsubstantial concerns and an area where it disagrees with Wanless is aroundplanning for the UKs future health service workforce. We believe that the Government hasunderestimated the number of nurses required to meet the demands on the NHS andhas overestimated the amount of extra productivity that can be expected fromconsultants use of new technology. BUPA believes that extra nursing staff over and above thoseproposed in the NHS Plan will be required, together with some radical redesignof clinical processes, investment in education, training and technology if theNHS is to meet the targets set out in the Plan.

 

We estimate that if the NHSis to keep pace with demand and improve the quality of its services there willneed to be an increase of at least seven per cent a year in funding throughoutthe coming decade.

 

It is BUPAs view that theGovernment needs to encourage additional voluntary funding to help it cope withthese substantial demands and that it should use the experience of the privatesector to do so. The advantages includegreater responsiveness and flexibility, the extension of choice and competitionand an easing of the burden on the public purse.

 

Finally, BUPA believes thata national health system with the Government acting as the central point ofcontrol is the way forward but that competition and customer choice are the keyingredients in creating the right environment for a responsive and dynamichealth system.

 

Furtherinformation: MarkBassett, Head of Public Policy, 020 7656 2491