Happy belated birthday to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS)!? As a beneficiary of the healthcare system and as a professional who has worked with the NHS, here are 10 things that I believe make the NHS one of the greatest healthcare systems in the world:
- Universal Healthcare: When Lord William Beveridge designed the system and Nye Bevan muscled it into existence 75 years ago, it was based upon the principle that nobody should ever have to pay a medical bill.? In the NHS, there is no insurance premium to pay, no co-payment and no fee regardless of whether you drop by the GP’s office with a cold or receive a quadruple bypass from the nation’s top cardiac surgeon. This means that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, can access the care they need, which is provided free at the point of care.??
- Maternity and Child Health Services:? After my twins were born, my wife and I welcomed a number of maternity nurses into our home during scheduled visits.? These clinicians play a critical role in assessing environments, providing check-ups and delivering support to new parents on various aspects of caring for an infant.? This comprehensive support for maternal and child needs is available to families from pregnancy through adolescence.
- Preventive Care:? In a nation where the health system has to care for everybody, sick or well, from cradle to grave, there is a clear incentive to keep people well. The NHS places a strong emphasis on preventive care, offering screenings and vaccinations to help detect and prevent serious health conditions.? The capitated payment structure creates an aligned incentive to practice preventive care.????
- Sanctity of the system: At 5:00 pm many nights during the pandemic, I stood shoulder to shoulder with London citizens who gathered outside of their homes to applaud the clinicians who were ending their shifts and returning home.? There is a special reverence for the NHS, teetering on sacrosanctity, that people in the UK feel for the system.? I have never seen, or felt this, in any other healthcare system in the world.
- Prescription Cost Capping: Prescription charges are capped, making medications more affordable for everyone. Plus, many groups, including children, the elderly, and those with certain medical conditions, are exempt from these charges.
- Quality of Care: The NHS is renowned for its high standards of care. It employs highly trained professionals who are committed to providing the best possible treatment to their patients.??
- Publicly Funded: The NHS is funded by taxpayers, which means it is accountable to the public rather than profit-driven shareholders.? Given the nature of the system, the NHS plays a key role in public health initiatives, from anti-smoking campaigns to promoting healthy eating and exercise.?
- Training and Education: The NHS is the 5th largest employer in the world (1.5 million people!) and is a major provider of training, ensuring a continuous supply of well-trained staff to deliver high quality care.??
- Innovation: The NHS is a leader in medical research and innovation. Many groundbreaking treatments and procedures have been developed within its institutions.
- Resilience and Dedication: The resilience and dedication of NHS staff, particularly in times of crisis, is something to be admired. The commitment to patient care is a testament to the values of the NHS.? In light of unprecedented challenges facing the NHS, ranging from chronic understaffing, poor retention and insufficient funding to deteriorating assets, long wait lists and growing pressure on GP practices, I’m optimistic that the NHS will weather the storm and continue to be a foundational pillar of British society.??
Happy birthday to a cherished institution that provides comprehensive, high-quality healthcare which is delivered free at the point of care. The commitment to equality, innovation, and patient-centered care makes it a model for healthcare systems worldwide.
