The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK is considered one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world. Here is a look at how it compares to other systems worldwide.
All citizens are entitled to universal healthcare under the NHS. Since taxes provide the majority of its funding, anybody can access it regardless of their financial situation or social standing. Let’s go over a few topics and talk about how the NHS is performing in relation to the global community.
Patients Are Protected From High Bills
Having to have a procedure done can be scary for numerous reasons. Not only is your health at stake, but in many countries also your wallet. Yes, you can have insurance, which many obtain by having a job, however, should you lose your job, your next trip to the emergency room could be a costly one. The UK does well to protect its patients from having to pay absurd amounts for medical bills.
However, this does not mean there is no room for improvement. For example, for dentistry, only 46% of bills are covered, and for prescription medicine, it is 59%.
Medical Staff
The UK has lower numbers of doctors and nurses than comparable countries. It only has 3 doctors per 1000 people and 8 nurses. A striking distinction is Austria, which boasts 5.4 doctors per 1000 people and 10 nurses. In this department, the UK is comparable to Canada with 2.7 doctors per 1000 people and 10 nurses.
Since there are shortages in the medical staff, devices such as the Galaxy retractor can significantly streamline hospital operations, as it can be operated by the surgeon alone, so there is no need for an assistant.
Administrative Spending
The UK spends less on administrative spending compared to their counterparts. The United States takes the crown here, with its spending being 8.9% of total spending on healthcare. Followed by France with 5.5%, Denmark with 4.6%, and Germany with 4.4%.
In comparison, the NHS only spends 1.9% of its budget on administration, which puts them in the same bracket as Japan with 1.8%, Sweden with 1.7%, and Portugal with 2.1%.
It is important to note that having a low administration spend does not necessarily mean that the system is in good shape, it just indicates that it is, as resources can be spent in different areas. Such as having more doctors and nurses and more modern equipment.
Less Medical Equipment
Speaking of medical equipment, the UK has fewer CT and MRI scanners compared to other countries. Of course, there is no number set in stone that says how many CT and MRI scanners a country needs, but it should still be noted that the UK is on the lower end.
With only 2.5, the UK also has fewer beds per 1000 people. The average is 3.2 beds per 1000.
Final Thoughts
While the NHS is a good system, that is available to the wide population, there are still some areas it can improve on, especially when compared to other countries. Having more doctors and nurses and investing more in having more equipment should be a priority.
