[Comment] Why we need to stop talking about productivity in the NHS
Productivity in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is declining, and many people are worried about this. It is the focus of meetings, white papers, articles, and webinars, and the topic arises in almost every NHS-related conversation.1–6 This worry prompts concern among policy makers, excitement among those in the health technology industry who see opportunity, and weariness among health-care workers. The debate around productivity is not new,7 but it has been reignited as an issue by the necessary efforts and thinking on how to get the NHS back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Productivity in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is declining, and many people are worried about this. It is the focus of meetings, white papers, articles, and webinars, and the topic arises in almost every NHS-related conversation.1–6 This worry prompts concern among policy makers, excitement among those in the health technology industry who see opportunity, and weariness among health-care workers. The debate around productivity is not new,7 but it has been reignited as an issue by the necessary efforts and thinking on how to get the NHS back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic.
