There seems to be a confusing trend towards reporting changes in the level of spending cumulatively over a period of years instead of annually, and there are two examples in your issue of May 7–13.
Your news story, ‘Public health programmes at risk from cuts’, states: ‘The health service is expected to achieve up to £20bn inefficiency savings by 2014.’ Is this £2bn a year for four years, £5bn in the first year, or some other permutation?
On the same page, another story says: ‘Care services for elderly people could cost an extra £300bn across the UK over the next 20 years’. Again, does this mean increases of £1.5bn a year for 20 years, or perhaps £1bn a year initially and rising to £2bn by 2030?
With my retirement almost imminent I find it disconcerting to reflect that the cost of employing me at current prices has been £2m – over 39 years.
John Hopwood is the Chief loans and investment officer, Cambridgeshire County Council
