Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
DHSC acknowledges long-term healthcare shifts but prioritises immediate acute service pressures.
Conclusion
DHSC and NHSE told us that they were fully supportive of the new government’s aims to shift healthcare spending from treatment towards prevention, from hospitals to the community, and from analogue to digital. However, DHSC contended that these shifts would be hard to do and should take place only over the long term and not at the expense of today’s patients.21 The DHSC also emphasised that a shift towards prevention might be achieved through longer-term legislative and culture change such as the Tobacco and Vaping Bill. DHSC and NHSE acknowledged that the 10-year plan for the NHS was a timely opportunity to set out how the three big shifts would happen, including in terms of changing the balance of spending and investment over time. However, DHSC told us it still intended to prioritise resources on current pressures such as acute services in hospitals. It suggested that if money were needed for something urgent in A&E then that would inevitably be where it would be spent.22 Increasing productivity
Government Response Summary
The government states that the financial position of NHS providers is significantly improved and that the 10 Year Health Plan will consider how to build a prevention-focused health system, shift the balance of care to community settings, and maximize the impact of digital technology.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.2 The underlying financial position of the NHS providers and systems is significantly improved in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24 with an end of year deficit of around £600 million compared to £1.5 billion in the prior year with the first stable year since the pandemic. This is the right trajectory of improvement for the 10 Year Health Plan to set out how the government and NHSE will deliver an NHS fit for the future. It will consider the activities highlighted by the committee, in particular: • How to build a prevention-focussed health system. This will mean that people live healthier lives for longer. • How to shift the balance of care from hospital-centred to community-based settings. This will mean that fewer people go to hospital with more care being delivered in settings suitable for people’s needs. • How to maximise the impact of data and digital technology in healthcare. This will mean that diseases are diagnosed earlier, patient care is improved, and staff have more time to treat patients.