Britain’s National Health Service is producing 5.5% less bang for each taxpayer buck than before the pandemic, according to official data, ramping up pressure on Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt to improve the efficiency of public services.

Across the public sector as a whole, productivity in 2022 was 0.3% lower than in 2019, according to figures released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics. Efficiency in the NHS has been particularly poor, puzzling economists as a spate of doctor hiring and increased funding has failed to deliver treatment for more patients.