News / HFMA 2011: NHS must improve quality and retain affordability, says Lansley

The NHS must improve outcomes while retaining its excellent record on access and value for money, health secretary Andrew Lansley told the HFMA annual conference.

‘The NHS is the best in the world in terms of access and value for money. The Commonwealth Fund says two systems – ourselves and Switzerland – came top in terms of access, affordability and continuity of care. In Switzerland they are paying more than half as much again for their health services, so we have tremendous value,’ he said.

‘But, at the same time, we weren’t top when the OECD looked at outcomes. We need to look carefully at how we can remain world leaders in access, value and affordability, while delivering better outcomes – that’s the challenge.’

This had to be done at a time of limited growth, but he insisted it was not a choice of one or the other and the NHS could achieve both.

He added: ‘Financial sustainability and quality of services travel together. High-performing financial organisations are likely to be high-performing in clinical quality.’

Financial and clinical decision-making must be aligned in order to deliver his vision of a high-quality, sustainable health service. ‘Financial decisions are clinical decisions and clinical decisions are financial decisions,’ he said.