I’d like to think you could tackle the NHS backlog with no additional money but I just don’t see how that’s realistic — without ignoring a big cohort of the population and storing up even more future problems. Productivity has certainly cratered in the health service but at some point you just have to spend more money too, especially to catch up on capital underspend.
You clearly know Oxford well!!! East-west line may not be the best example - I don’t know all the details - but I do know that constant indecision on whether to proceed with projects is a major cause of cost escalation (that and the hopeless planning system!) So my broader point was more that it’s good to have funding certainty out for five years on projects so business can plan around that (reforms to planning reforms also critical).
I’d like to think you could tackle the NHS backlog with no additional money but I just don’t see how that’s realistic — without ignoring a big cohort of the population and storing up even more future problems. Productivity has certainly cratered in the health service but at some point you just have to spend more money too, especially to catch up on capital underspend.
You clearly know Oxford well!!! East-west line may not be the best example - I don’t know all the details - but I do know that constant indecision on whether to proceed with projects is a major cause of cost escalation (that and the hopeless planning system!) So my broader point was more that it’s good to have funding certainty out for five years on projects so business can plan around that (reforms to planning reforms also critical).