Delegates attending a debate on the cuts proposed for the NHS were convinced by speakers that the health service can reduce its expenditure without a drop in the quality of care delivered to patients.

Before the debate, which was hosted jointly by the King’s Fund and the BMJ, 58% of 100 delegates disagreed with the motion, “This house believes that the NHS will not be able to cut costs without substantially damaging the quality of health care.”

But after arguments from Rebecca Rosen, a GP and senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, and Paul Corrigan, a management consultant and executive coach, the proportion of the doctors, managers, and health policy strategists in the audience voting against the motion increased to 71%.

Dr Rosen and Professor Corrigan argued that the NHS needs integration rather than investment, and that the future of the NHS looks rosy compared with other public sectors.

Speaking for the motion James Drife, professor of …