The UK's National Health Service has been under a blistering media attack. First, Charles Moore
in the Telegraph describes the NHS as the “worst in the Western world” (1). According
to him, “the NHS cannot look at the whole patient and meet his/her medical
needs”. On Twitter, his editor Tony Gallagher describes the article as “really
good”, and he is praised by Douglas Carswell MP. Next, in The Independent on Sunday, Ian Birrill describes the NHS as “a
toxic institution”, one where “myopic worship has fostered a culture of
complacency that kills patients” (2). Again he has been praised on Twitter by
Jane Merrick (political editor of the IoS), Charlotte Leslie MP (MP for BristolNW) and Lord Ashcroft.
What is going on? It
would appear that at least two of the above have had bad personal experiences
of the NHS with care of relatives or themselves. Could that justify such
vitriol in the national press?
Now might be a good time to clear
up a few things. Firstly, the NHS is not the CQC (Care Quality Commission). We need a powerful regulator
of hospitals in both public and private sectors, and the CQC has failed us in
that. But do not tar the NHS with the same brush. Secondly, there are pockets
of excellence within the NHS just as there are pockets of abject failure. To use
examples of failure as a rod with which to strike all NHS staff demoralises
them and fails to recognise their vital role in society.
The NHS is the backbone of
healthcare in the UK. It is who we turn to when we are really sick. It doesn’t
matter how sick you are, the NHS takes you in and does its best to fix you. It also trains all our doctors and nurses. Yes,
even those who now work in the private sector. Of course, the NHS is not
perfect. But it does its utmost to deliver
healthcare as a basic human right. It certainly is not complacent.
Funding cuts, staff shortages and increasing patient expectations are putting a strain on the NHS. See how our funding compares to other systems:
Funding cuts, staff shortages and increasing patient expectations are putting a strain on the NHS. See how our funding compares to other systems:
Is it the worst healthcare system
in the world as Charles Moore and Ian Birrill would have us believe? Three
years ago patient satisfaction with the NHS was the highest it had ever been.
Research clearly demonstrates that the NHS provides the most cost efficient,
high quality healthcare when compared to all other healthcare systems in the
developed world (3). A report by The Commonwealth Fund (4)
We scored poorly on patient centred care
(communication, continuity, feedback and patient preferences), and that may
have been the price we paid for delivering the most cost-effective universal
healthcare system in the world. For most of us in the NHS, this shines a light on where we
must focus our efforts next. No complacency there.
How do we persuade the media to stop this unjustified attack on the NHS as a whole? What are their motives?
Please participate in the Twitter debate using #stopNHSattack.
Please participate in the Twitter debate using #stopNHSattack.
References:
3. Comparing the USA, UK and 17 Western countries’ efficiency
and effectiveness in reducing mortality (C Pritchard, M Wallace), J R Soc Med Sh Rep 2011
4. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally (K Davis, C Schoen, K Stremikis), 2010 Update
