§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of efficiency gains achieved since 1 May 1997. [46436]
§ Mr. MilburnLatest estimates for the National Health Service show that efficiency savings equal to £655 million were made in 1997/98. Targets have been set for further NHS efficiency savings equivalent to £750 million across the NHS in 1998/99.
In addition to this we are committed to a broader based approach to improving efficiency in the NHS. To that end we have:
- set targets to reduce NHS bureaucracy in England by £84 million in 1997/98 and by a further £73 million in 1998/99
- established an Efficiency Task Force to identify opportunities for process and systems changes in the NHS
- developed a revised performance assessment framework focused on improving both quality and efficiency.