Health Foundation: Restoring UK Health to 2014 Levels Could Add 2% to GDP

The think tank modeled the effects of reducing ill health across the working-age population and concluded that economic output would rise by £57 billion if health returned to 2014 levels. Healthy life expectancy fell by two years in the decade to 2022-24, the report stated. The UK was one of only five of the world’s 21 richest countries to record a deterioration over that period.

At the same time, the number of working-age people with long-term health conditions rose from 11.7 million to 15.7 million. The Health Foundation highlighted large regional gaps. People in the richest 10% of areas can expect up to 20 more years of good health than those in the poorest 10%.

The authors argued that treating health as an economic asset would shift policy emphasis toward prevention and public health measures in addition to treatment. “A healthy labour force is also the engine that powers our economy – it determines whether people can participate in employment, how effectively they work and how long they remain in the labour market,” the report said.

Health-related spending now accounts for one pound in every four of government expenditure, excluding debt interest, the Resolution Foundation noted in related analysis cited by The Guardian. Much of the additional tax revenue raised in recent budgets has been directed to the NHS. Incoming prime minister Andy Burnham is scheduled to receive two reports this autumn.

One, from Alan Milburn, will examine the one million young people not in education, employment or training, many for health reasons. The second, from Stephen Timms, will address reform of disability benefits. Burnham has also indicated he may accelerate Baroness Louise Casey’s social care commission, currently due to report in 2028.