Transforming the NHS: A Triple Dividend
5654 & Company publishes a paper on how innovation, partnership and investment can deliver better patient outcomes, improved NHS productivity and stronger economic growth.
The NHS is under immense pressure. Rising demand, an ageing population, persistent workforce challenges, and outdated infrastructure both physical and digital have all contributed to declining performance and mounting public dissatisfaction. As Lord Darzi concluded in his 2024 review, the NHS is “broken but not beaten”. The Government has made improving the NHS an urgent priority and a barometer of its success. It is acting and has started the process of ‘fixing the bones’ through essential reform to the foundations of the NHS.
This moment presents a generational opportunity to reshape the NHS through systemic regulatory reform and the Government has highlighted the role that strategic collaboration between the NHS and the private sector can play. The Government has already outlined an ambitious vision focused on three core shifts: moving care closer to communities, prioritising prevention over treatment, and embracing digital transformation. These are the right priorities but turning vision into reality will require long-term structural and cultural change in how healthcare is delivered in the UK.
At the heart of this transformation is the potential to deliver a ‘triple dividend’: improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction, enhanced NHS productivity, and long-term economic growth through a healthier, more resilient population. By deploying capital strategically, forming innovative partnerships, and creating the right regulatory environment, the NHS can be resuscitated and made fit for the future.
As we await the publication of the Government’s 10-Year NHS Plan in July 2025, this paper seeks to highlight what’s at stake, and the art of the possible. It outlines the scale of the crisis, the strategic direction being taken, and the compelling role of the private sector in driving progress. For patients, healthcare providers, health and life sciences companies, and investors, this is a moment of opportunity to align and a chance to improve lives, strengthen the NHS, and contribute to the UK’s prosperity.
With the right policy environment, investment frameworks, and cultural openness to change, the NHS can do more than survive this crisis. It can emerge stronger, more sustainable, and once again a source of national pride.
5654 Health & Life Sciences is hosting a panel networking event to discuss the paper in more detail on 10 June 2025. If you would like to attend, please contact HLSevents@5654.co.uk for more information or register interest here.