IFS Director Paul Johnson joins the Times Health Commission

IFS Director Paul Johnson has joined the Times Health Commission, a year-long commission which aims to address the most urgent challenges facing health and social care. The commission is tasked with considering the future of health and social care in England in the light of the pandemic, the growing pressure on budgets, the A&E crisis, rising waiting lists, health inequalities, obesity and the ageing population.

It will draw up recommendations for reform in the following ten areas:

• The funding model for health and social care
• GPs and pharmacists
• Hospitals, waiting lists and maternity provision
• Social care
• Workforce — including recruitment, retention and training
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Mental health
• The role of new technology
• Health inequalities

The commission will hold fortnightly evidence sessions, with witnesses including senior doctors, nurses, midwives, hospital managers, scientists and business leaders, as well as politicians and health experts, and it will publish a final report in January next year. Paul Johnson is the only commissioner to give evidence to both the Times Education and the Times Health committees.

Find out more about the Commission from the Times here.