The NHS is the largest, highest profile, most complex and risky industry in Europe, in England alone spending £124bn this year, employing over 1m staff and providing care for the majority of the population every year. As is the case across OECD countries, health care costs outstrip GDP growth, and so the search for effective reform is constant.

The suite of reforms has changed over the years – how and what has made a difference? How does the current strategy stack up, and are there gaps if the NHS is to make progress faster? How can we tell? And if there were a moratorium on all national policy for 3 years, would patients notice any difference to care?

In this lecture, Jennifer draws on her experience from academe, medicine, policy analysis, and the wide portfolio of activities by the Health Foundation to prompt discussion on how progress in the NHS might be optimised.

Dr Jennifer Dixon is Chief Executive of the Health Foundation.

Jennifer was Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust from 2008 to 2013. Prior to this, she was director of policy at The King’s Fund and was the policy advisor to the Chief Executive of the National Health Service between 1998 and 2000. Jennifer has undertaken research and written widely on health care reform both in the UK and internationally.

Originally trained in medicine, Jennifer practised mainly paediatric medicine, prior to a career in policy analysis. She has a Master’s in public health and a PhD in health services research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1990, Jennifer was a Harkness Fellow in New York.

In 2009, Jennifer was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. She was awarded a CBE for services to public health in 2013. In October 2016, Jennifer became a member of the Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care in Wales.