New health secretary warns further NHS efficiency savings may be needed

doi:10.1136/bmj.c2600

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Zosia Kmietowicz

¹London

The new health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that the NHS may need to make more efficiency savings than the £20bn (€23bn; $29bn) it is planning to save by 2014.

Speaking on his first full day in the job on 13 May Mr Lansley told Radio 4’s Today programme that the NHS budget would rise above inflation in the years to come as pledged in the Conservative manifesto. This would help the NHS meet rising demands from an ageing population, he said.

But he also warned that productivity may have to improve beyond the £20bn announced by Labour appointed NHS chief executive David Nicholson in 2008 (BMJ 2009;339:b5305;doi:10.1136/bmj.b5305).

Commenting on the figure on radio 4 Mr Lansley said, “Of course …