The NHS confederation at a seminar series on reform has dubbed the changes "the biggest efficiency and productivity challenge in its history".
The seminars, Healthy efficiency: The NHS and public service reform, were held in partnership with the NHS Confederation and Baxter Healthcare.
They aimed to inform of current developments in other public services such that experience could be shared.
Harry Keenan, general manager at Baxter UK and Ireland said providers of care needed a strategy.
He said: "I believe that we do need more direction at a national level for those delivering care to ensure that change happens swiftly."
Key themes of the seminars were; new models of care; culture and leadership; cost of the workforce; and incentives and vested interests.
Andrew Haldenby, director at Reform, said: "One great hope of reformers is that the financial crisis will see some of the traditional silos around the public services dissolve.
"In that case, health and other budgets can be brought together in order to focus spending on where it can achieve the greatest impact."
