2. The National Health Service
of the United Kingdom
By British Ambassador Stephen Lillie
Health Financing Summit, 14 April 2010
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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it had become outdated and had systemic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
8. The NHS today
Shaped around the needs and preferences
of individual patients
> rovides access to a comprehensive
p
range of services
> rovides choices
p
> elps reduce health inequalities
h
> orks with stakeholders
w
> elps keep people healthy
h
9. 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
10. 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.”
11. 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
