Productivity in acute hospitals – are the recommendations of the Carter Review realistic?

Productivity in acute hospitals – are the recommendations of the Carter Review realistic? The final report of the Carter Review on operational productivity in acute hospitals is the culmination of an impressive work programme. Since its inception in June 2014, the review team has engaged with 136 acute hospitals in England, 40 per cent of which Lord Carter personally visited. In terms of engagement with local leaders in the acute sector, this must surely set the standard.

The report gives a detailed account of the extent of variation across acute hospitals. Though it is often difficult to prove that this variation is unwarranted, it is hard not to be persuaded that there is the potential for significant savings. While identifying exactly where the variation lies is a necessary first step in reducing it, it will not be sufficient on its own given the long history of efficiency reviews in the NHS, going back to the Rayner reviews of the early 1980s and beyond. Is the report as convincing in its approach to implementation? The King's Fund