why is the NHS the third largest employer on the planet?

Question

I recently learnt this fact. Is the UK really this sick? Maybe its not all doctors, perhaps it all the unnecessary beaurocracy.

well the question still stands. Why our country with a population that is not as large as a great deal others, needs to employ so many people. Is it like the 'get every student into university' thing, get the old unemployment figures down.

Answer 1

According to Fortune 500, it's not. The third largest employer on their list is actually the State Grid Corporation of China. Just below that is the US Postal Service. The top 2 are Wal-Mart and China National Petroleum. The NHS doesn't even make the top 50.

Answer 2

The NHS is part of the public sector. Anything that is free at the point of delivery is subject to abuse both by those that use the service and those that supply the service. Hard to swallow, but true.

There is no competition, they get their money from Government regardless, so there are no drivers toward increasing efficiency. It is bureaucratised, politicised, unionised, committees create inertia, and provide a useful front for "management" to hide behind, and vice versa.

The public sector absenteeism due to sickness is far higher than in the private sector. People are rarely sacked, because the unions are so strong, and the managers are usually in the same union.

Medical staff, a little like teachers in education, are all but impossible to manage, because they will close ranks against any manager who tries to be too efficient, and pressure will be brought to bear against them. The system is all important.

Because there really isn't any competition, there are no drivers toward innovation or increasing efficiency. Why bother, they will only reduce the budget. The public sector sees budgets as money to be spent, not targets to be beaten.

The NHS also carries out many so called medical procedures which it is not really there to do. There are so many, but I think IVF, for me, is an example. But, we read about them all the time.

It is extremely difficult to make any public sector body as efficient as the private sector, because it is not exposed to market forces.

A lot of patients don't turn up for appointments. Some patients turn up too much, because they are not actually sick. ( hypochondria) Nobody knows what an efficient NHS would cost, because, what do compare it with. So, ignorance is bliss. They can hide a multitude of inefficiencies, because nobody can spot them.

As an aside, I don't think training nurses in Universities is a good idea, because there will be less emphasis on practical training and more on the academic aspects as well as PC and social engineering.

This is a big subject, and much of what I have said will be unpopular. I do, however, have a few years experience in the public sector, following even more experience in the private sector.

Answer 3

You asked the right question.
It is, of course the top-heavy bureaucracy.
There are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.
Naughty non-PC language!
Every "Assistant-Deputy-Director of Liaison and Solidarity with The Glorious-Autonomous-Socialist Collectivised Cuban Health Services" needs a large Staff.
Not because he actually DOES anything.
But because he will get more cash to play with.
This cash will be used to expand his Department
and to buy himself a Flash computer.
This is encouraged by the Government.
Because every Dead-beat with a degree in nail-varnishing is dependant on the Government.
And will,hopefully,vote for the Government.
What I've said above can be understood
And sounds nasty!
However.
The Government.
The Local Councils.
County Offices.
The Civil Service.
The Ministry of Defence.
The Fire Service.
Every Single Contractor who deals with The Health Service.
The National Health Service Itself.
Do not allow people to talk in language that can be understood!
No-one gets Cash!
It is "essential resources vital to the primary care of our clients"
No one gets a Flash computer!
It is investment in "Cutting-edge Technological,Communicational, and Computational Skills."
No-one is Empire-building!
It is "Striving to encompass the increasing complexity of the Spacial Extremities"
Can you wonder why there's no cash when some morons can spend untold BILLIONS on a computer that doesn't even WORK?
Nearly spilled me cocoa when I read that report!
A little kid with a Commodore 64 could do most of the jobs that a pen-pusher needs!
Just before I go to bed in disgust:
The highly trained Ancillary Staff are a bunch of illegal immigrants.
They are trained in the following manner:
"You come workum Friday afternoon.You get fine wheel-barrow full tax-payers money."
Come on then! Tell me how clean hospital wards are with these workers!
You will notice that I didn't mention:
The Prison Service.
This is because they are always being criticised by the "guardianistas"
This means that they are doing a Good Job!
That's All Folks!

Answer 4

It is an absolute example of the Blair government padding the brueacracy with people most likely to vote for them to ensure a politcal future.
If the NHS were to operate efficienmtly, it would require more medical personnel than bureaucrats- but the evidence poiints to 2/3 being bureaucrats and we face yet another nurse shortage- if it were truly effective- how can this be possible?
I suggest voting for a non-mainstream party to rock the boat a bit harder.

Answer 5

Well I would rather it employing people, and working and a essential part of the community - than the private sector making massive redundancies across the board - just to raise the share price for six seconds, only to then sell sell sell and abandon it - and leave it in a state of utter chaos and into foreign ownership (like the private sector has done to every other single industry it has got it's hands on).

Answer 6

Yu need to look at sour supposition: instead of asking "why is the NHS the third largest employer on the planet", ask: "is the NHS the third largest employer on the planet".

I don't believe so. Show me the soruce that says it is.

It sounds like one of these made up stats that people use to justify cut backs.

Answer 7

I think you just answered your question yourself!

The nhs may be a huge employer but this is becasue it looks over a great many tasks, many of which are not for sick people:
What about maternity? -scans, giving birth, postnatal care...
Cancer prevention scans and xrays,
Dental check ups,
The fact the hospital is required to be open for service 24 hours a day throughout the year, and requires staff to do this.
Receptionist staff for visitors visiting relatives and friends,
Chrech workers looking after children of doctors and nurses,
Cleaners (yes they do exist!)
Porters,
Kitchen and canteen staff for doctors and nurses and visitors,
researchers looking into illnesses and new medicines.....

the list goes on!

Yes there are a great deal of sick people- hyperchondriac or not, there are also a great deal of well people who feel prevention is better than cure.

Answer 8

Bureaucracy. Maybe because it's a National Health Service?

Answer 9

yes, it is all unnecessary bureaucracy, I can tell you! People far more 'important' than doctors and nurses running around with clip boards in offices.

Answer 10

that is how it works over here in the USA too I teacher 2 supervisors. Total government control totaly sucks!