The report by former NatWest chief executive Derek Wanless into the future of the NHS recommends key changes to ensure the health service can meet demand and improve care over the next 20 years.
The recommendations:
An increase in health spending from £68bn at present to £184bn by 2022
Proportion of GDP spent on health to rise from 7.7% at present to 12.5% by 2022
NHS spending to increase by 7.7 per cent over the next five years reaching £96bn by 2007
A one-third increase in the number of nurses
A two-thirds increase in the number of doctors
A maximum two-week waiting time for hospital appointments by 2022
Improvements to NHS pay and new financial incentives to encourage staff to improve services
NHS staff must increase productivity from 2% a year at present to 2.5% a year in the first 10 years if improvements are to be made
A doubling of spending on information technology
A major increase in the new hospitals building programme to bring the average age of facilities down to 30 years
Redistribution of tasks between NHS staff - health assistants taking over some of the work of nurses and nurses taking over some of the responsibilities of doctors
A look at whether patients should be charged for missing NHS appointments
Greater patient involvement in the running of the NHS and related organisations such as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
A review of the policy which exempts up to 50% of the population from paying prescription charges
The introduction of charges for non-clinical services
Greater cooperation between the NHS and the private sector
Financial incentives to reduce bed-blocking in NHS hospitals
More self-care by patients
If successful, the NHS will help to increase life expectancy for men from 80 years at present to 81.6 years and for women from 83.8 years to 85.5 years by 2002
Greater integration between the NHS and social services
A review of the progress being made in improving the NHS and a re-assessment of its future needs in 2007
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