HTA response to Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the state of the NHS

The former health minister Lord Darzi has published his independent investigation into the state of the NHS. The investigation will support the development of a new 10 year plan for the NHS, to be published early next year.

The full report can be found here, and attached is a summary of the key findings.

In his speech following the publication of the report, the Prime Minister delivered a frank and urgent assessment of the state of the NHS, labelling it as ‘broken but not beaten.’ He praised the report’s ‘incredibly comprehensive’ and ‘raw and honest’ analysis, acknowledging that while the NHS remains a ‘precious institution,’ it is far from being ‘fit for the future.’

Nick Lansman, CEO of the Health Tech Alliance said:

“The Health Tech Alliance is pleased to see the publication of the Lord Darzi review and agrees with its assessment that patient care is being held back by the slow adoption of transformative technology, from devices and diagnostics to IT and data systems. Where data shows clear benefit to patient outcomes and their capacity to deliver cost savings to the NHS, health technologies should be adopted across the system in the same way as medicines.

This report should now act as a catalyst for change. The path to next year’s ten year plan for the NHS will be complex, but we urge the Government to leverage the Health Tech Alliance’s unique membership of industry, academia and health bodies to develop solutions that will help get the NHS back on its feet”