In 2009/10, the NHS saw no identifiable changes in past trends. Acute and specialist trust income continued to grow at nearly 7 per cent a year, with the most rapid growth in non-tariff areas. PCTs invested heavily in community services with a further 12 per cent increase in 2009/10, following a 13 per cent increase in 2008/09. But there was no nationally identifiable shift to providing more cost-effectivecare outside hospitals – a crucial strand of the Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme. Non-elective admissions continued to grow at 3 per cent a year and the number of outpatients also grew rapidly. Hospital efficiency improved through greater
use of day cases and very small reductions in elective length of stay. But other key markers remained more or less static. .......................................................
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