insight into the NHS

outline of the NHS

• funded by taxation: national insurance and income tax

• free at the point of use

• care is based on need, rather than ability to pay (unlike countries like the USA which follow a private model)

• care is delivered across the country

how does the NHS work?

outline NHS organisations

1. PM + government

• decides funding given to NHS and main NHS priorities

2. DHSC - run by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP

• set health policies and oversee how main priorities decided by the govermnet are delivered

3. NHS England

• plan how services are run across the country, national oversight

• similar role to DHSC, so NHS England may be merged into DHSC

4. Integrated Care Systems (ICS)

• Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)

• plan healthcare services locally based on needs of local populations

5. Hospitals/GPs/Community services

• deliver care directly to patients

NHS Core values

1. Care - deliver the right care holistically

2. Compassion - consider how illnesses affect people, treat people with kindness and dignity

3. Competence - have the knowledge and skills to deliver evidence-based care

4. Communication - involve the patient in their care

5. Courage - be willing to challenge things, e.g. unsafe practice

6. Commitment - be dedicated to patients, continuously strive to improve patient care

paternalistic care

• previously, doctors were seen as all-knowing and patients just followed their advice

• now, doctors have realised the need to involve the patient in their care and give them autonomy

current situation of the NHS

insufficient funding

• increase in demand for services but funding has not kept up

• insufficient funding puts strain on resources

• leads to longer waiting times, limited access to treatments

• hinders investment into new technologies that could improve patient care

solution

• prioritize healthcare spending

• allocate funds strategically to areas with the greatest need, such as primary care, mental health services

• supplement government funding with other funding models: public-private partnerships or social impact bonds

backlog

• accumulation of patients on delayed treatments

• despite initiatives such as the elective backlog recovery plan (February 2022), waiting lists remain high and targets for 2024 have been missed

solution

• implement triage systems to prioritise patients based on urgency of conditions, so that those in critical need receive timely care

future of the NHS/how the NHS is changing

• virtual wards 

• use of AI