Comparisons with OECD countries
2.13 In recent years, the UK invested less capital in its healthcare services than other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The OECD compares countries' net capital spend on healthcare assets as a percentage of GDP and places the UK 26th out of 34 OECD countries in 2015 (Figure 11). NHS England considers that the NHS already uses its capital assets and infrastructure more intensively than most other Western countries.
| Figure 11 UK is 26 out of 34 OECD countries for capital investment in healthcare as a proportion of GDP |
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| Notes 1 Refers to gross fixed capital formation in International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) 86: Human health activities (ISIC Rev. 4). 2 Refers to gross fixed capital formation in ISIC Q: Human health and social work activities (ISIC Rev. 4). 3 Gross fixed capital formation is defined as "resident producers' acquisitions, less disposals, of fixed assets during a given period plus certain additions to the value of non-produced assets realised by the productive activity of producer or institutional units. Fixed assets are produced assets used in production for more than one year" (European System of Accounts 2010). |
| Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Health Statistics 2017, OECD National Accounts |