Blog: September 2009
Does the Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, know something we don't about future NHS spending? He seemed remarkably chipper at our debate at the Labour Conference.
Andy Burnham recently announced that hospital payments will be linked to patient experience at service level. Will this help to improve quality?
Faced with the squeeze on public spending it seems no politician is willing to suggest cuts in frontline staff, so it's quangos and regulators that get their focus.
Much of the health care improvement over the past decade has been characterised by high levels of investment - how will the NHS cope with the new financial challenge?