This report describes the current financial state of the NHS and the reasons for the deterioration in financial performance and ultimately financial failure. These include weak leadership, legacy costs, payment by results (PbR), and the impact of the wider health economy.
NHS hospitals face mounting financial and workforce pressures. Reconfiguration of hospital services can provide a powerful means of improving quality in an environment where money and skilled health care workers are scarce. In some places, reconfiguration is needed urgently, in order to protect patient safety. However, the current reconfiguration process ...