NHS must improve efficiency before asking for more money, claims ICS chief executive

An ICS chief has said the NHS workforce crisis is not the result of a ‘funding issue’ but caused by an inefficient use of resources.

Patricia Miller, chief executive of Dorset Integrated Care Board, told a board meeting on Thursday that “constantly talking about the NHS needing more money” was undermining leaders’ case to government.

She said: “We have got a workforce issue in the NHS, there is no doubt about that. I don’t actually believe we have got a funding issue. We just don’t use our resources very efficiently and I don’t think we do our case any positive favour with government when we’re constantly talking about the NHS needing more money when we can’t demonstrate that what we do is efficient.

“So I don’t actually accept we’ve got a funding issue unless we start to work at the optimum and then we can absolutely demonstrate that.