What do you think of the National Health Service in the UK? What needs to be done to improve UK health care?

Question

I've just come out of hospital after being admitted as an emergency case last week. I have nothing but praise for those who helped me in the last few days. In my opinion they are understaffed, underpaid, under-resourced and overworked but still manage to provide a level of care for which I for one am grateful. What do you think?

Answer 1

I think it is pretty damn good on the whole.I know there are complaints from some people and the stories I have heard do sound justified but I have never had grounds for complaint,only praise.

Answer 2

The National Health Service has been great in my personal opinion based on experience. I suffered a number of strokes in 2003 and was treated very well by all of the doctors and hospital staff involved with my rehabilitation. The sad fact is that the service is under-funded. One could also argue that the 'self-inflicted' unhealthy state of the population is putting strain on the resources that are already in place.

I believe each individual has to take responsibility for their own health and live a lifestyle that will promote good health. People seem to abuse their health and expect the NHS to take care of them when they fall ill. The NHS is a privilege that is so easily taken for granted here in England.

Answer 3

I too had cause to be rushed in for an emergency op. two years ago. I have to say they did a marvellous job but like you say they were desperately understaffed, the room I was in was filthy and there was CARPET on the floor which had icky stains on twice I needed help and had to wait 20 mins before anyone could come to my aid. The staff were run ragged and there was one poor old lady they were trying to get into a home because they needed her bed and she sat out in the communal area for 12 hours! before anyone would take her. She was sleeping sitting up. So the answer is less management, more resources and hospital staff to do the cleaning not contractors.

Answer 4

I would certainly agree that they are understaffed, particularly in A&E over night - I have been in A&E in the early hours of the morning suffering with a burst blood vessel and it took them 2 hours to find someone that knew what they were doing, and stop the bleeding. All other treatment I have received has been fantastic but it can be quite hard to get treatment quickly due to waiting lists, and I think they need more resources and funding to get people treated quickly.

Answer 5

I agree with Frank M, the NHS has far too many beurocrats clogging up the works. I worked in the NHS a few years ago and the standard of management was appalling. Nepotism, cronyism, status seeking, jobs for the boys and promotion based on length of service, not on merit. Bugginses turn. Most of the junior management could not even tie their shoe laces, never mind run a hospital. Nearly all of them were Doctor's sons and daughters who only got the job as a favour to Daddy, they were useless at everything else, it is all they were good for. (Q) Why is working in NHS management like smoking dope? (A) The more you suck, the higher you get.

Answer 6

Most improvement could be made by preventative care, so reducing demand.
eg pay GPs not on number of visits, but on number who don't unless it is reasonably unavoidable.

Educating and inspiring people and businesses to take responsibility for their own, and their communities, health and not expect our social health service to pick up the pieces from bad diet and lifestyle, pollution, drug missuse like tobacco & alcohol, behaviour likely to cause illness or injuries etc.

but it is not going to happen, even if it would make us all happier and healthier, because our economic system needs us to over indulge. and there is a lot of money in providing "cures" in rich countries. Cuba has the best heath & life expectancy in the americas despite the culture of cigars.

Answer 7

I agree. It's worth noting that nobody who detracts from the NHS can name a single country where health is managed better. I think we need to face the fact that a perfect health system is impossible, because it involves people, who are impossible, wonderful, greedy, inefficient, lazy and conscientious.

However, like perfect health, just because it we will never achieve it, doesn't mean we should ever stop trying.

My daughter is a Casualty Nurse by the way, makes me livid the way some patients behave.

Answer 8

I think its fantastic and over the last few years has vastly improved,my mother waited for a knee replacement under the tories for 4 yrs,another relative whos on the waiting list now has been told it will only be 6 months.The way to improve it is to get rid of all the admin staff who are on bumped up salaries for doing nothing!

Answer 9

Wife and I used to work for the NHS simple answer get rid of the bureaucrats at the top they have no idea of medical matters,I new one I'm ashamed to say,One third of his salary was based on the savings he could make in each year.After three years the hospital closed and he moved to the South of France.
Give it back to the people who know how to run it the Dr's & Nursing Staff at least the money would go into patient care,Sorry for going on it just gets me angry.Thanks CyberComm couldnt have put it better.

Answer 10

After living in the US for a few years I was glad to get back to England partly because I didn't have to worry about health insurance anymore, The NHS is far from perfect but its the best system in the world, if your poor in the states forget it, no one cares.