Improving the NHS’s productivity through digital tools, as outlined in the first part of this series, is entirely feasible—if at an additional cost. Yet, even with political will and investment in productivity enhancements, a significant hurdle remains: there are insufficient management resources within the NHS. This leadership and managerial gap presents a formidable barrier to progress that cannot be overlooked if transformation is to be achieved. The Misunderstanding of NHS Management The public’s frustration with the NHS’s perceived bureaucratic inefficiencies often targets middle management, viewed as the custodians of red tape hindering frontline staff from delivering patient care....
The True Cost of Improving Productivity in the NHS
The NHS is under pressure to do more within its current budget. With budgets tight and demands only increasing, there’s a lot of talk about boosting productivity by harnessing digital technologies, including the latest in generative AI. It’s an appealing idea: if we could increase the productivity of NHS staff, we could theoretically reduce the cost of the health service. But how realistic is this in practice? A few years ago, our GP practice adopted the automated patient registrations process offered by a startup called healthtech-1....