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In the 1990s, despite many achievements, it had become outdated and had systemic problems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