George Osborne asks Physios for ideas on efficiency

NHS workers, including physiotherapy staff, have been asked for their ideas about how public services can be delivered more efficiently.

The Public sector efficiency challenge invites workers to complete a survey to find the best money-saving ideas and help the government to cut the deficit.

A similar survey during the last parliament produced ideas that saved millions of pounds, according to chancellor George Osborne.

In a letter to public sector employees today (3 August) he says: ‘You know better than most where we can take the next steps. You know first-hand where things are working well on the frontline of public services, but also where the waste is and where we can provide better services for less money.

‘Please submit your ideas through our online survey by 4 September. These will be looked at and considered by the Treasury and Cabinet Office, in partnership with government departments.’

Karen Middleton, the CSP’s chief executive, responded by saying that a good first step to efficiency would be to reverse the ￡200 million cuts to the public health budget.

She said: ‘George Osborne could also ensure councils and the NHS are properly funded to deliver the falls prevention services that could save lives and ￡275 million a year.

‘And he could back our calls for self-referral to physiotherapy to be rolled out across the UK to free up tens of millions of GP appointments at a saving of ￡33 per patient.’

Letter to the Times

In July Ms Middleton was the lead signatory to a letter to the Times protesting about ￡200 million cuts to public health spending in England. The letter warned this would damage long-term efforts to reduce NHS costs.

On 31 July the Department of Health (DH) launched a consultation about the ￡200 million cuts. It asked whether the cuts should be spread evenly across councils and how the department can assess the impact of the funding loss.

The consultation seeks opinions about how the department, Public Health England and NHS England can help councils to minimise disruption to services that could be caused by the drop in funding.

A DH spokesperson told Frontline that ‘difficult decisions’ had to be made to reduce the deficit. ‘That's why we are consulting with local authorities on how best to deliver these savings in a way that minimises any impact on services,’ she said.