The NHS is probably the most beloved of all British institutions. While the NHS has been in existence for less than a century, emerging in the post-war liberal euphoria which gripped Britain following the end of the second world war, it has cemented itself firmly as an essential component of our society. To those of us born after the founding of the NHS, it is impossible to imagine a world without it.
Comparing the healthcare systems of different countries is never easy. This is because there is a multitude of complex, intertwining factors which determine what the overall health of different population groups is. It is also very difficult to obtain reliable data from health systems across multiple countries. Different health systems will record and collect data differently, making comparisons hard.
As an illustration of the difficulties of comparing healthcare systems in different countries, consider that international league tables can be used to show that the NHS is one of the best healthcare services in the world, or that it is doomed to fail.
However, by looking at a few specific areas, and comparing them against other, similar, countries, we can make some deductions and assertions about the performance of the NHS when compared to other similar international organisations.
Efficiency
When we look at the various metrics which indicate efficiency, we find that the NHS compares favourably against many other healthcare systems. For example, when compared to the rest of Europe, the NHS comes out as the leader for prescribing the generic (cheaper) form of drugs, rather than the more expensive branded version.
Additionally, when we look at the length of time that the average patient spends in hospital, a metric which is seen as one of the key indicators of efficiency performance, this is a day shorter for the NHS than the EU average. The NHS edges out other advanced health systems such as those in France and Germany. The NHS isn’t quite the best in this area; the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden all perform better than the NHS.
Quality of Care
The NHS - and the UK as a whole - has been one of the key voices in shaping the development of the measures that we use to assess the quality of a healthcare system, the national patient survey program, for example. The NHS has also developed a number of quality improvement techniques, most notably, the evidence-based clinical guidelines, which have helped the NHS to stay at the forefront of quality healthcare services.
Medical Negligence
Medical negligence, or medical malpractice, is said to have occurred in situations where a medical professional with a duty of care towards a patient fails in that duty of care. In practice, this means that if you suffer a physical or psychological injury because of a failing on the part of those responsible for your care, then you could be entitled to compensation.
The NHS has a robust process in place for claiming medical compensation in cases where medical negligence is believed to have occurred. Many health services around the world make it difficult for patients to pursue a medical negligence claim, but any medical negligence solicitors in the UK will testify to the transparent nature of the NHS and how this facilitates the pursuit of negligence claims.
If you are considering pursuing a claim against a hospital for medical negligence, then you will want the best medical negligence solicitors to be arguing your case. To find medical negligence UK-based solicitors, try looking online for ‘medical negligence claims UK’. Doing this search brought me to companies such as The Medical Negligence Experts who have a 97% satisfaction rating on Feefo. Make sure to research many different firms before you decide to make a claim, in order to save funds – some firms offer services on a no win no fee basis.
Access
One area where the NHS clearly excels is in terms of ease of access. Anyone can access NHS services by contacting a doctor’s surgery or a hospital. The treatment that patients receive is free at the point of use and, while prescription charges apply in England, they are free in the rest of the UK. In all areas of the UK, hospitals are able to give out prescription medications free of charge. The result of this is that the NHS is easy for patients to access and always provides the care that they need.
This stands in stark contrast to the situation in some other nations. Most other developed industrialised nations provide a comprehensive healthcare service, which will treat any who require it. However, there are some places, notably the United States, where patients might find that they are turned away from healthcare facilities or have their stays cut short because they are unable to pay or otherwise deemed not entitled to access.
The NHS is rightly regarded as one of the finest healthcare services in the world. In addition to the high-quality advanced care that the NHS provides, it has also been made as easy to access as possible. The NHS continues to perform better than many equivalent systems and is one of the best healthcare systems in Europe and the world.
Author, Freelance writer