NHS England’s latest productivity plan sets a clear expectation: around 2% productivity growth each year from a system already under intense pressure.

For context, long-term NHS productivity growth has historically been closer to 0.6%. Acute hospitals achieved an impressive ~2.7% last year but sustaining that level year after year will be difficult without changing how work is planned and delivered.

The challenge isn’t effort. Frontline teams are already stretched. According to the King’s Fund, nearly three quarters of staff report unrealistic time pressures, and over 30% experience burnout.

If the NHS is expected to do more with the same resources, the gains won’t come from working harder. They have to come from using capacity better.

In elective care, for example, theatre utilisation still averages around 75%, with time lost to cancellations, scheduling constraints and manual processes. Even small improvements in how lists are built and managed can translate into thousands of additional procedures each year.

We’re starting to see a shift across the system: less focus on adding resources, and more focus on visibility, smarter planning, and making better use of existing capacity. This is where many Trusts are now turning their attention, and where smarter operational tools are beginning to deliver measurable impact.