The most expensive breakfast in history Revisiting the Wanless review 20 years on
June 2021
20 years on from the Wanless report, we look back at its origins, methodology and impact, highlighting the learnings that can be applied to the pandemic recovery.
On Sunday 16 January 2000, in what rapidly became dubbed 'the most expensive breakfast in history', the Prime Minister Tony Blair went on the BBC’s flagship weekend political programme Breakfast with Frost. Blair declared that all things being equal, the UK would increase its health spending up to the European Union average by 2005.
2 years later, in April 2002, Securing our future health: Taking a long-term view was published. Commissioned by the Treasury and chaired by Derek Wanless, this review proved to be the first serious attempt by any government in the history of the NHS to make an independent assessment of the service’s likely future needs, and likely cost, over the next 20 years.
In this study, Nicholas Timmins looks back on the Wanless review and explores its impact in the short and long term. Drawing on insights from interviews with many of the key people involved at the time, the report highlights lessons from the original review that could be applied today. These historic issues are even more important to understand as we look towards recovery from COVID-19, and as the UK faces a backlog of unmet demand for NHS care, unreformed social care, major workforce issues, and investment sorely needed elsewhere in the public sector.
Further reading
Podcast
Is it time for another Wanless Review?
Episode 9. Given the pandemic, do we need another Wanless Review to assess the NHS's future funding...
Discover
REAL Centre
The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre is here to support better long-term decision making in health...
You might also like...
Press release
Today’s NHS data should be a wake-up call to the next prime minister
Health Foundation response to the monthly NHS performance statistics.
Press release
Boris Johnson didn’t ‘fix social care’ - the next PM must
Response from the Health Foundation on the Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities Committee report...
Podcast
A tale of two hospitals: the pandemic and its aftermath in Berlin and London – with Professor Heyo Kroemer and Professor Tim Orchard
Episode 22. Professor Heyo Kroemer of the Charité in Berlin and Professor Tim Orchard of Imperial...
Work with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more