Should we be proud of the NHS?

The NHS should be one of the greatest achievements of the UK, something that we can be proud of, but is that the case. Should we be proud of the NHS, or is it just a drain on our resources?

Since its launch in 1948, the NHS has grown to become the world's largest publicly funded health service. The NHS was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth, the NHS website states. With the exception of charges for some prescriptions and optical and dental services, the NHS remains free at the point of use for anyone who is resident in the UK. It covers everything from antenatal screening and routine treatments for coughs and colds to open heart surgery, accident and emergency treatment and end-of-life care.

The NHS employs more than 1.7 million people. Of those, just under half are clinically qualified, including 120,000 hospital doctors, 40,000 general practitioners (GPs), 400,000 nurses and 25,000 ambulance staff.

When the NHS was launched in 1948 it had a budget of GBP£437 million (roughly GBP£9 billion at today's value). In 2008/9 it received over 10 times that amount (more than GBP£100 billion).

UK vs America

With public services likely to be key to the upcoming election, the NHS is under scrutiny. The British paper The Telegraph is currently running a debate asking 'How can we make the NHS something for Britain to be proud of?'

It's true though, Britain technically should be proud of the NHS. Look at America. It's taken President Obama passing the healthcare reform to get more people in America covered by insurance, but, even then, the legislation is only covering 95 percent of the country. At least in the UK, we're entitled to freehealthcare - you don't have to worry that you don't earn enough money to qualify for healthcare . If you're sick, you go to the doctor and pay for your prescription, not the visit - if you need antibiotics, you pay for them on prescription, or if you're eligible, you get them free. Is this a luxury for us, something we take for granted? When you look at the NHS in these terms, we're lucky to have what we have in Britain, but what about the downside?

Failing hygiene

Recent reports have found that a number of NHS hospitals are failing hygiene standards. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that one in four NHS hospital trusts were failing basic hygiene standards to protect patients against hospital bugs, which affect an estimated 30,000 people a year.

They found that 42 out of the 167 NHS trusts inspected last year were breaching NHS registration requirements by failing hygiene standards. The investigation reveals a long list of failings: 36 trusts were not providing areas to decontaminate instruments, three trusts failed to regularly flush unused water outlets - crucial for the control of Legionella infections - and 13 trusts were criticised for not keeping clinical areas clean. Of these failing trusts, five had to be issued with a warning notice - the first step towards losing the right to operate in the NHS.

Targets ahead of patients?

As well as reports of the NHS failing hygiene, it has been reported that it puts targets ahead of patients. Despite the fact that NHS funding has nearly tripled from GBP£39.9 billion to GBP£102 billion in 11 years, there are concerns the cash has failed to raise standards.

Reports stated that the medical needs of patients were being overshadowed by the need for hospital's to meet targets and balance the books. Patients are moved, services altered and waiting lists manipulated to ensure hospitalsaren't penalised. Patients are even discharged too early, in the knowledge that they will have to be readmitted.

In fact, the NHS has even been accused of lacking compassion. Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, said in February that some hospitals see the sick as "no more than a medical or behavioural problem to be tackled and resolved."

Budget spent on management

One bone of contention when it comes to the NHS, is the amount of money which is spent on management in the NHS.

The population in the UK, in July 2009 was estimated at 61,113,205 people by CIA World Factbook, which in essence means a lot of people to care for. So if this is the case, why is 14 percent of the NHS budget being spent on management?

About GBP£15.4 billion a year is spent on management and administration, an influential Commons committee has revealed, the British paper The Guardian states.

A report by the health select committee accuses the Department of Health of burying the figure, which the MPs claim is due to local NHS organisations' failure to commission services properly.

Managers of NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) who are in charge of 80 percent of the annual budget have drawn flak recently from the MPs. Figures have revealed that the number of health managers have risen by 80 percent in the last decade.

According to the NHS, some 60 percent of the NHS budget is used to pay staff - 14 percent alone on management and administration, that's a huge number, what about the people on the front-line, the ones treating the patients and providing the lifeline?

A further 20 percent pays for drugs and other supplies, with the remaining 20 percent split between buildings, equipment and training costs on the one hand and medical equipment, catering and cleaning on the other. Nearly 80 percent of the total budget is distributed by local trusts in line with the particular health priorities in their areas.

Lifeline

There's no doubting that the NHS provides a lifeline to many, but the fact remains is there is too many incidences of poor hygiene and mis-management of money. The UK needs the NHS, we are lucky to have it, but are we proud of it? That question still remains to be answered over the next few years if changes are made to the level of care we receive.

 

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