'Political football' NHS: Investing in healthcare in 2019

Technology must cut administrative burden

As US President Donald Trump learned quickly last week, the NHS is an emotive issue for British people, writes Paul Major, manager of the BB Healthcare fund.

It is also Europe's biggest employer, providing cradle-to-grave care for more than 65 million people, with 300 million GP appointments and 94 million outpatient hospital visits each year - up 50% on three years ago. Like all Western healthcare systems it is horribly inefficient, with 39% of frontline medical staff time spent on administration. Demand is growing inexorably. The UK population is ageing and two thirds of adults and one third of primary school children are overweight. Three of the top five contributors to premature death are inter-related: diet, obesity and high blood pre...