Britain should learn from India's ability to deliver high-quality healthcare at a fraction of the cost seen in Western countries, according to Dr Penny Dash, chair of NHS England.

Speaking on a podcast, Dr Dash described India as a potential "global exemplar" in treating vast populations affordably by using technology in ways the UK "could only dream of". She credited this technological integration with lowering the unit costs of care while widening access to medical treatment across the country.

Indian healthcare providers have combined early adoption of standardised operating processes with modern technology to drive down costs and improve throughput. Dr Dash pointed to the so-called "cataract factory" model as a clear illustration of this approach, in which a high volume of operations is performed at low cost through a strict division of labour. Non-specialist tasks are delegated to trained support staff, freeing specialist surgeons to concentrate solely on complex procedures.

The scale of India's digital health infrastructure has grown substantially in recent years. Under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the country has created close to 940 million digital health IDs and linked more than a billion health records. India is also expanding its use of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and disease surveillance, applications that Dr Dash suggested could offer useful lessons for the NHS as it tries to modernise.

Her remarks were not confined to India. Dr Dash urged health leaders to examine a range of international models when considering how to reform the NHS. She singled out the Nordic countries for their emphasis on primary prevention and social cohesion, arguing that these factors have contributed to stronger population health outcomes over time.

Sweden received particular praise for its primary care model. Patients there are given greater choice in selecting their GP while remaining within a state-funded system, an arrangement Dr Dash suggested balances flexibility with universal coverage. She also referenced New Zealand's early adoption of electronic health records, Australia's innovations in primary care, Singapore's electronic healthcare systems and Germany's use of data analytics in healthcare purchasing as areas worth studying further.

The search for international examples comes as the NHS attempts to improve productivity significantly after years of strain on its budgets and workforce. Waiting lists remain a persistent concern, and ministers have repeatedly pressed the health service to deliver more care within existing resources rather than relying solely on increased funding.

Central to current reform efforts is a shift of patient care away from traditional hospital settings and toward community and primary care. The NHS has also placed growing emphasis on expanding public access to digital health services, including online booking, remote consultations and patient-facing apps, as it seeks to reduce pressure on physical infrastructure.

Dr Dash's comments reflect a broader recognition within NHS leadership that domestic reform alone may not be sufficient to address the scale of the challenge facing the health service. By pointing to countries that have achieved efficiency gains through technology, workforce restructuring or preventive care, she has framed international comparison as a practical tool for policy development rather than a purely aspirational exercise.

Whether such models can be adapted to the NHS remains an open question. India's healthcare system operates under different funding structures, regulatory conditions and population needs, and critics may argue that direct comparisons risk oversimplifying the challenges involved in reform. Nonetheless, Dr Dash's intervention signals a willingness among NHS leaders to look beyond Britain's traditional reference points, including the United States and Western Europe, in searching for solutions to long-standing problems of cost and capacity.

The NHS has not indicated whether any specific measures inspired by these international examples are currently being developed, though further details on productivity plans are expected as part of ongoing reform discussions.

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