Health Financing Summit
04.14.10
The National Health Service of the United Kingdom
By British Ambassador Stephen Lillie Health Financing Summit, 14 April 2010
The UK National Health Service
> founded in 1948 > 3 core principles:
> It meets the needs of everyone. > It is free at the point of delivery. > It is based on clinical need, not ability to pay.
> delivered major improvements in health > has a proud history of innovation
The UK NHS
> 90,000 hospital doctors, > 35,000 general practitioners, > 400,000 nurses, and > 6,000 ambulance staff > 1m patients every 36 hours > 700,000 dental visits every
week > 3,000 heart operations a week
In the 1990s, despite many achievements, it had become outdated and had systemic problems
> underfunded > understaffed > lacked national standards > had old-fashioned demarcations
between staff > had barriers between services > lacked clear incentives and
levers to improve performance > over-centralised > disempowered patients
Major investments
> facilities > staff > reforms > institutions
The NHS structure
Source: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/about/Pages/nhsstructure.aspx
The NHS today
Shaped around the needs and preferences of individual patients
> provides access to a comprehensive range of services > provides choices > helps reduce health inequalities > works with stakeholders > helps keep people healthy
NHS expenditure
Sources: ONS, Annual Abstract of Statistics: 2008, Table 10.22, and earlier editions; ONS database, series YBHA, ABMI and YBGB; Health Committee, Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2007: Memorandum received from the Department of Health containing Replies to a Written Questionnaire from the Committee, HC 26-i, 8 November 2007, Table 2
Misconceptions about the NHS
> “Old people are denied prescribed drugs, treatment and surgery.” > “The NHS denies state-of-the-art drugs to cancer patients.” > “Patients have no choice about their treatment.” > “Women under 25 are not allowed a cervical smear test in the England because
its too expensive.” > “Patients have to wait a very long time to be seen by a doctor or to receive
treatment.”
The NHS today
> universal
> comprehensive
> efficient
> cost-effective
> egalitarian
> innovative
*Figures from World Health Organisation ~Figures from Commonwealth Fund report - Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: An International Update on the Comparative Performance of American Health Care
Health Financing Summit
04.14.10