Dean Hochlaf
@dhochlaf.bsky.social
Economic Analysis and Policy Support Team Lead for the BMA. Interested in how better health can support a better economy. Views my own, and not of some defunct economist.
Even if this raised funds, it surely would also reduce demand for government bonds and push up borrowing costs which will still leave them scrambling to meet their fiscal rules
November 9, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Even if this raised funds, it surely would also reduce demand for government bonds and push up borrowing costs which will still leave them scrambling to meet their fiscal rules
Have to say, embedding the world's most rapacious firms into the UK economy at the expense of digital sovereignty and homegrown tech firms, to chase the world's biggest bubble has really eased any concerns I might have had
September 18, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Have to say, embedding the world's most rapacious firms into the UK economy at the expense of digital sovereignty and homegrown tech firms, to chase the world's biggest bubble has really eased any concerns I might have had
Really worrying that this government thinks exercising your legal and democratic right to strike, to demand better pay and conditions in a vital sector that is already falling behind the rest of the world, is tantamount to a declaration of war...
July 31, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Really worrying that this government thinks exercising your legal and democratic right to strike, to demand better pay and conditions in a vital sector that is already falling behind the rest of the world, is tantamount to a declaration of war...
The man has never found a position he unequivocally supported that he did not later equivocate on
July 29, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The man has never found a position he unequivocally supported that he did not later equivocate on
If the NHS is under threat it's because years of underinvestment has damaged capacity and failing to address the decline in real wages of vital staff ignores the real failure to provide an adequate funding settlement
July 29, 2025 at 10:29 AM
If the NHS is under threat it's because years of underinvestment has damaged capacity and failing to address the decline in real wages of vital staff ignores the real failure to provide an adequate funding settlement
The NHS has made very small gains tackling the consequences of 15 years of underinvestment thanks to the hard work of doctors and staff, and what threatens "recovery" is refusing to acknowledge you need to invest in wages in a pivotal, labour intensive sector
July 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The NHS has made very small gains tackling the consequences of 15 years of underinvestment thanks to the hard work of doctors and staff, and what threatens "recovery" is refusing to acknowledge you need to invest in wages in a pivotal, labour intensive sector
Viewing tax purely as a means of raising revenue for public spending, rather than as one of many fiscal tools that the state can use to achieve its economic goals is such a barrier to good policy
July 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Viewing tax purely as a means of raising revenue for public spending, rather than as one of many fiscal tools that the state can use to achieve its economic goals is such a barrier to good policy
The 2010s saw real-term health spend per head, adjusted for age, stagnate while the Lansley reforms were implemented, but apparently it's always more money and never reform
It takes time for new investment to boost capacity, following a decade of underinvestment and major crises
It takes time for new investment to boost capacity, following a decade of underinvestment and major crises
July 9, 2025 at 9:02 AM
The 2010s saw real-term health spend per head, adjusted for age, stagnate while the Lansley reforms were implemented, but apparently it's always more money and never reform
It takes time for new investment to boost capacity, following a decade of underinvestment and major crises
It takes time for new investment to boost capacity, following a decade of underinvestment and major crises
Dystopian and everyone involved should feel ashamed
July 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Dystopian and everyone involved should feel ashamed
Doctors continue to expose the heinous conditions in Gaza and the impact this is having on children
July 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Doctors continue to expose the heinous conditions in Gaza and the impact this is having on children
This is a big claim in the 10 Year Health Plan, suggests they expect productivity gains to be much higher than previously anticipated but without much of an explanation
Seems very unrealistic given the modelling in the previous workforce plan was already quite ambitious
Seems very unrealistic given the modelling in the previous workforce plan was already quite ambitious
July 3, 2025 at 1:13 PM
This is a big claim in the 10 Year Health Plan, suggests they expect productivity gains to be much higher than previously anticipated but without much of an explanation
Seems very unrealistic given the modelling in the previous workforce plan was already quite ambitious
Seems very unrealistic given the modelling in the previous workforce plan was already quite ambitious
The government seem to think that the analysis showing how much poverty their welfare cuts are going to cause is somehow mitigated because of a below historical trend spending increase for the health service which is a slightly disjointed argument to say the least
June 30, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The government seem to think that the analysis showing how much poverty their welfare cuts are going to cause is somehow mitigated because of a below historical trend spending increase for the health service which is a slightly disjointed argument to say the least
Another lacklustre attempt to impose market forces on the healthcare system, while failing to reckon with a lack of resources and funding
June 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Another lacklustre attempt to impose market forces on the healthcare system, while failing to reckon with a lack of resources and funding
Not sure I have ever come across any evidence that the UC health element is a major driver of poor health, but there are plenty of studies out there showing that poverty has a pretty horrendous impact
June 20, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Not sure I have ever come across any evidence that the UC health element is a major driver of poor health, but there are plenty of studies out there showing that poverty has a pretty horrendous impact
Lot of talk about health seeing big gains in the spending review
But as this health foundation chart shows, these rises are in line with the Thatcher years and well below the new Labour years
It's a big improvement on the austerity years but with pressures mounting it's unlikely to be sufficient
But as this health foundation chart shows, these rises are in line with the Thatcher years and well below the new Labour years
It's a big improvement on the austerity years but with pressures mounting it's unlikely to be sufficient
June 11, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Lot of talk about health seeing big gains in the spending review
But as this health foundation chart shows, these rises are in line with the Thatcher years and well below the new Labour years
It's a big improvement on the austerity years but with pressures mounting it's unlikely to be sufficient
But as this health foundation chart shows, these rises are in line with the Thatcher years and well below the new Labour years
It's a big improvement on the austerity years but with pressures mounting it's unlikely to be sufficient
Pitching some exciting changes for Question Time
June 9, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Pitching some exciting changes for Question Time
This would still be well below historical trends and insufficient to deliver on commitments to improve the service
Cuts elsewhere will also lead to increasing demand
Government will have to accept at some point that fixing public services requires more revenue than they have at the moment
Cuts elsewhere will also lead to increasing demand
Government will have to accept at some point that fixing public services requires more revenue than they have at the moment
June 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
This would still be well below historical trends and insufficient to deliver on commitments to improve the service
Cuts elsewhere will also lead to increasing demand
Government will have to accept at some point that fixing public services requires more revenue than they have at the moment
Cuts elsewhere will also lead to increasing demand
Government will have to accept at some point that fixing public services requires more revenue than they have at the moment
Disappointing from Toynbee suggesting the NHS is drawing cash away from underfunded education
Public services, including healthcare, were decimated by austerity and the erosion of the state
We need a commitment to increase the capacity of the state, not pit vital services against one another
Public services, including healthcare, were decimated by austerity and the erosion of the state
We need a commitment to increase the capacity of the state, not pit vital services against one another
June 3, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Disappointing from Toynbee suggesting the NHS is drawing cash away from underfunded education
Public services, including healthcare, were decimated by austerity and the erosion of the state
We need a commitment to increase the capacity of the state, not pit vital services against one another
Public services, including healthcare, were decimated by austerity and the erosion of the state
We need a commitment to increase the capacity of the state, not pit vital services against one another
Even if you believe people can forsee their finances for 18 years ahead or choose to have an extra child for a tiny bit of extra income (which are stupid things to believe) you still can't avoid the fact that this punishes the children and creates bigger costs for everyone
June 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Even if you believe people can forsee their finances for 18 years ahead or choose to have an extra child for a tiny bit of extra income (which are stupid things to believe) you still can't avoid the fact that this punishes the children and creates bigger costs for everyone
This is a heinous situation and we need the immediate resumption and expansion of aid to avert an imminent catastrophe in Gaza
May 20, 2025 at 10:53 AM
This is a heinous situation and we need the immediate resumption and expansion of aid to avert an imminent catastrophe in Gaza
If your aim is to get more funding into strategic sectors and more STEM placements at universities, then slashing funding for courses with low marginal costs is an absolutely terrible way to go about it
May 19, 2025 at 9:28 PM
If your aim is to get more funding into strategic sectors and more STEM placements at universities, then slashing funding for courses with low marginal costs is an absolutely terrible way to go about it
Cannot imagine how you can look at this country and think the change people want to see is an income shock to those with disabilities worth £5 billion
May 2, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Cannot imagine how you can look at this country and think the change people want to see is an income shock to those with disabilities worth £5 billion
AI will help Hollywood create so many top quality sequels
April 23, 2025 at 10:57 AM
AI will help Hollywood create so many top quality sequels