Healthcare and Medicine in the UK

The National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. The organisation provides the majority of healthcare in the UK, from general practitioners to Accident and Emergency Departments, long-term healthcare and dentistry.

A feature of the NHS compared to other public healthcare systems is that it pays directly for health expenses (with partial exceptions like prescriptions and dentistry it is free at the point of use) It also employs the doctors and nurses that provide them, and in most cases owns and runs its hospitals and clinics. However, under the Private Finance Initiative, an increasing number of hospitals have been built (or rebuilt) by private sector consortia, and have non-medical services (such as catering) provided under long-term contracts by the same consortia.

NHS History Before 1948, when the NHS was created, patients were generally required to pay for their own healthcare. Many charities were established to operate local hospitals, such as the Royal Free Hospital, and some local authorities operated local hospitals for local ratepayers, but provision was patchy and quality of care varied greatly. Systems of health insurance were relatively undeveloped, with the exception of National Insurance. However due to cuts during the economic troubles of the '30s so many of the poor were simply unable to obtain treatment when they were ill.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, with a new spirit of social provision, Clement Attlee's Labour government created the NHS. The same services would henceforth be provided by the same doctors and the same hospitals, but: services were provided entirely free of charge at the point of use; instead, services were financed from central taxation; everyone was eligible for care (even people temporarily resident or visiting the country).

Overseas Doctors and the NHS: Staff shortages in the NHS during 50s and 60s led to recruitment drives for qualified doctors from overseas, particularly the Indian subcontinent. This is a trend which continues to this day, and Overseas Doctors continue to contribute significantly to the NHS, especially in areas and posts which appear less glamorous or desirable to the local doctors. In recent years, several overseas doctors won race discrimination claims against the NHS, highlighting the absence of career progression and other difficulties faced by doctors from overseas.

Private Healthcare Of course private healthcare also exists in the UK. However health insurance only provides a supplemental level of health care as the National Health Service already provides a comprehensive health service. Because of the NHS, only 12% of people have their own health insurance (compared with 85% in the US) and the majority of these (9%) have their insurance paid by their employer. In the UK, Health insurance only provides cover for curable, short-term health problems. It is designed to enable policyholders to jump the NHS queues to see consultants, be diagnosed, receive surgery or be treated. It does not cover medical care for emergencies or accidents and nor does it provide preventative medical treatment. The largest providers are BUPA, BHP, BMI healthcare and Nuffield hospitals.

Private Vs. NHS Private Healthcare NHS Healthcare Advantages

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Complementary and alternative medicines are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare. These medicines and treatments range from acupuncture and homeopathy to aromatherapy, meditation and colonic irrigation. There is no universally agreed definition of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Complementary and alternative medicine and the NHS In most cases the NHS does not offer patients complementary or alternative treatments. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides guidance to the NHS on the clinical and cost effective use of treatments and care of patients. NICE has recommended the use of complementary and alternative medicines in a limited number of circumstances. for persistent low back pain For example: the Alexander Technique for Parkinson’s disease ginger and acupressure for reducing morning sickness acupuncture and manual therapy, including spinal manipulation, spinal mobilisation and massage for persistent low

Apart from osteopathy and chiropractic, there is currently no professional statutory regulation of complementary and alternative treatments in the UK. That means it is legal for anyone to practise the treatment, even if they have no or limited formal qualifications or experience.