Progress made by the NHS in the past 13 years

The Labour government was elected in 1997 with a promise to ‘save the NHS’. Over the past 13 years they have more than doubled NHS funding and introduced a series of reforms in England aimed at improving the quality and timeliness of care. So is the NHS in England a better health care system in 2010 than it was in 1997? And what further changes are needed to improve its performance?

Drawing on approaches from international studies we have developed eight broad criteria for a high-performing health system: the services must be available, safe, clinically effective, health promoting and offer patients a positive experience; and the system as a whole should be efficient, equitable and accountable.   

Using publicly available data and policy documents, together with findings from research and relevant international comparisons, we have examined what progress the NHS in England has made against each of these criteria since 1997. Based on our findings, we have recommended where the next government should focus its efforts in our report A high-performing NHS? A review of progress 1997-2010.