Responding to new Health Foundation analysis on funding requirements for the NHS, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

"Improving productivity is a priority as well as a huge challenge for trusts.

“Trusts are determined to make the most of every pound going into the NHS while doing all they can to provide safe, high-quality care. Leaders and staff are working flat out to improve services, reduce waiting lists and see patients as quickly as possible.

“The latest NHS data shows acute services’ productivity rose 2.4% in the first seven months of this financial year and it’s positive that productivity growth across other health services rose at a higher rate. Trust leaders are doing everything they can to maintain this productivity boost while acknowledging there is still more to do.

“We also need to recognise that services are in a very tough position because of economic challenges and having to find unprecedented savings in the face of rising demand across hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services. After years of underinvestment and almost £14bn needed to plug a rocketing backlog of NHS repairs we must be realistic about the rate of progress.

"To make the NHS as productive as possible requires long-term, cross-government support plus increased capital investment and urgent social care reform to ease mounting pressure across the NHS.”