NHS: Joint Replacement Procedures

Lord Barnett Excerpts

Tuesday 5th April 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Northover]

This is a key area. The noble Baroness is absolutely right. The Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit is carrying out research in this area. I find that extremely reassuring because it is right that there are consequences of not undertaking these procedures in terms of pain for patients which, in turn, reduces their ability to work, to look after their families or to undertake whatever other responsibilities they may have. It is very important that that is factored in.

[Lord Barnett]

When efficiency savings are proposed, does the department immediately make that money available to spend or does it wait to see whether the efficiency has been achieved?

[Baroness Northover]

The noble Lord, as ever, asks very challenging questions. The various sections of the NHS have been set various tasks in terms of efficiency savings, but with the responsibility of reducing bureaucracy—which has grown, as noble Lords know, over the past 10 years or so—as opposed to making any reductions in clinical services.