Darzi investigation provides the right diagnosis - action on NHS reform now a societal and economic necessity, says IPPR

Responding to Lord Ara Darzi's review into the state of the NHS Chris Thomas, head of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity, said: 

"This investigation has produced both an accurate and timely diagnosis. Lord Darzi is right that the NHS has been beaten by a pandemic, austerity and misguided reform. But he is also right that the NHS' model is not fundamentally broken - we must not be distracted by rabbit holes like social insurance systems or changed funding models. 

"It is not just the nation's health that is at stake, but our national economy. Poor health is doing major harm to economic growth and productivity. Health is not a cost to be contained, but rather an investment in prosperity - and a new, bold reform agenda, backed by the Treasury, is needed to save lives but also to revitalise the economy. Next week's final report of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity - chaired by Dame Sally Davies and Lord Ara Darzi - will propose many of the solutions we need."