Learning from Unlocking Sustainable Productivity Masterclass
Our recent masterclass brought together leaders from across health and social care to explore one of the most pressing challenges facing the sector.
Stephen Rocks, Head of Secretariat for the NHS Productivity Commission, outlined the current state of NHS productivity and why traditional approaches to improvement are no longer sufficient.
He highlighted the significant slowdown in productivity since the pandemic, noting that conventional measures—focused mainly on activity such as appointments and procedures—are far too narrow.
"If pre-pandemic trends had continued, the NHS would be around 14% more productive - equivalent to around £20bn of additional care."
NHS Productivity Commission: From Diagnosis to Delivery
Productivity, he stressed, must be defined in terms of outcomes delivered for the resources available, including clinical results, safety, and patient experience. Focusing on activity alone will not maximise value.
Stephen emphasised that the issue is not the NHS funding model or the need for structural reorganisation. Instead, the barriers to higher productivity are systemic, rooted in four key drivers identified by the Commission:
- Workforce
- Capital
- Technology & Innovation
- Transformation
He shared six emerging areas for recommendations, reinforcing that simply pushing harder within the current model will not generate the sustained improvements the NHS requires. A broader, outcomes‑focused and system‑wide approach is essential.
Bart Van Ark, Professor of Productivity Studies at the University of Manchester and Managing Director of The Productivity Institute, explored how to measure, mobilise, and manage productivity in healthcare. He outlined five key productivity drivers and highlighted where improvements can be made, particularly through technology such as AI, better understanding of delivery chains, improved measurement of outputs vs outcomes, and stronger incentives to focus on strategic priorities.
Bart explained how mapping delivery chains can help identify opportunities to boost productivity and described the different types of improvement possible across the public sector. He also discussed why measuring productivity in public services is uniquely complex.
He examined how to mobilise productivity through organisational change, workforce development, technology adoption, and capital investment. On artificial intelligence, he noted the potential for quick wins—such as freeing up staff time through better record management and administrative automation—but stressed that long‑term success depends not just on technology, but on building strong organisational capabilities. He also identified three priorities for government: linking datasets, providing legal clarity, and supporting workers to develop new skills.
James Davies, Head of Digital Productivity at Transformation Partners in Health and Care, shared a compelling overview of how digital productivity can help organisations meet growing pressures, drawing on his time leading an NHSx centre of excellence where he delivered a multi‑million‑pound pipeline of digital innovation across multiple NHS providers. Since transitioning into TPHC in 2023, his team has continued to build on this foundation—most notably through the Digital Productivity Platform, a scalable, cloud‑based solution designed to remove traditional cost barriers to automation.
James explored what it truly takes to deliver successful digital change, emphasising the importance of strong governance, clear stakeholder engagement and a focus on ensuring technology supports staff rather than replacing them. He also highlighted the need for a unified, national approach to digital tools to maximise the NHS’s ability to benefit from innovation at scale.
The insights for all speakers helped frame a rich discussion on digital productivity, automation, and how organisations can unlock meaningful, sustainable improvements.
Watch back
Further Resources
What Does it Take to Improve NHS Productivity? (podcast)
Why does productivity vary so widely between NHS organisations? Can new technologies like AI and remote monitoring help the health service seize the opportunity to redesign care for the long term?
Making public sector productivity practical
This report aims to connect our knowledge about concepts, measurement, drivers and barriers to productivity growth in the public sector with practical insights into improving productivity.
Joining Up Pro-Productivity Policies in the UK
Which pro-productivity policies should the Government adopt and how to join them up in the UK system of governance?
An Old Challenge in the New Era: How the Public Sector Can Benefit from the Age of AI
This report argues that the primary barrier to successfully leveraging AI is not the technology itself, but a persistent lack of foundational capabilities within public sector organisations and the wider innovation ecosystem.
Productivity and Responsible AI in Adult Social Care
How artificial intelligence can be responsibly harnessed to enhance productivity in England’s adult social care sector?
