NHS Reforms & Can Elon Musk Fix Government Spending? | IEA Podcast

In this episode of the IEA podcast, we dive into Wes Streeting's proposed NHS reforms, exploring whether league tables and performance metrics can truly improve healthcare efficiency. Our guests Tom Clougherty and Kristian Niemietz discuss alternative healthcare systems from around the world, from the Netherlands' market-driven approach to Singapore's health savings accounts, examining how these models might inform NHS reform.

We then turn to Elon Musk's appointment to head the new Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. Our panel debates whether private sector efficiency methods can work in government, drawing parallels with Musk's Twitter reforms and exploring the fundamental challenges of applying business principles to public sector operations.

The discussion concludes with reflections on two significant anniversaries: the 1917 October Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our guests share personal memories of the latter and examine how these historical events continue to shape current debates about economic systems and political ideologies, particularly among younger generations who didn't experience the Cold War era firsthand.

We bring you a public affairs podcast with a difference. We want to get beyond the headlines and instead focus on the big ideas and foundational principles that matter to classical liberals.

Timestamps:

01:09 - NHS reforms
19:23 - Elon's DOGE
30:26 - October Revolution & Berlin Wall anniversary

[albedopoint]

He took the sink in to Twitter. The gag was ‘let this sink in!’

[thecrankster]

Why is there an assumption that lowering the percentage of GDP spending on healthcare is a good thing? Uk needs more spending but more private financed healthcare not more state financed healthcare.

[FergusDavignon]

You're doing a fantastic job! I need some advice: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). What's the best way to send them to Binance?

[tomburroughes]

I worry that Musk's focus on his actual businesses will be further weakened by all this.