Differences Health care in the United Kingdom

1 differences

1.1 telephone advisory services
1.2 best practice , cost effectiveness
1.3 cost control
1.4 parking charges
1.5 prescribed drugs
1.6 role of private sector in public healthcare
1.7 funding , performance of healthcare since devolution

differences
telephone advisory services

each nhs system has developed ways of offering access non-emergency medical advice. people in england , scotland can access these services dialling free-to-call 111 number. scotland s service run nhs24. telephone number nhs direct wales/galw iechyd cymru 0845 4647, service intends offer access through 111 number point in 2015.

best practice , cost effectiveness

in england , wales, national institute health , clinical excellence (nice) sets guidelines medical practitioners how various conditions should treated , whether or not particular treatment should funded. these guidelines established panels of medical experts specialise in area being reviewed.

in scotland, scottish medicines consortium advises nhs boards there newly licensed medicines , formulations of existing medicines use of antimicrobiotics not assess vaccines, branded generics, non-prescription-only medicines (poms), blood products , substitutes or diagnostic drugs. new drugs available prescription more in rest of united kingdom. @ times has led complaints.

cost control

the national audit office reports annually on summarised consolidated accounts of nhs, , audit scotland performs same function nhs scotland.

since january 2007, nhs have been able claim cost of treatment, , ambulance services, have been paid personal injury compensation.

parking charges

parking charges @ hospitals have been abolished in scotland (except 3 pfi hospitals) , have been abolished in wales. parking charges continue in place @ many hospitals in england.

prescribed drugs

in sample of 13 developed countries uk 9th in population weighted usage of medication in 14 classes in both 2009 , 2013. drugs studied selected on basis conditions treated had high incidence, prevalence and/or mortality, caused significant long-term morbidity , incurred high levels of expenditure , significant developments in prevention or treatment had been made in last 10 years. study noted considerable difficulties in cross border comparison of medication use.

northern ireland, scotland , wales no longer have prescription charges. however, in england, prescription charge of £8.60 payable per item of april 2017, though patients under 16 years old (16–18 years if still in full-time education) or on 60 years getting prescribed drugs exempt paying people medical conditions, on low incomes or in receipt of benefits, , prescribed drugs contraception. uk permanent residents in england not pay real cost of medicines , prescribed medicines can bought on counter without prescription, example aspirin, can cheaper purchase these without prescription. uk permanent residents in england must pay can (instead of paying each medical item individually) purchase three-month prescription prepayment certificate (ppc) costing £29.10. saves patient money patient needs 3 or more items in 3 months. there 12-month ppc certificate costing £104.00 saves patient s money if 12 or more items needed in 12 months. there no prescription charges anywhere in uk medicines administered @ hospital, doctor or @ nhs walk-in centre.

role of private sector in public healthcare

from birth of nhs in 1948, private medicine has continued exist, paid partly private insurance. provision of private healthcare acquired means of private health insurance, funded part of employer funded healthcare scheme or paid directly customer, though provision can restricted conditions such aids/hiv. in recent years, despite evidence large proportion of public oppose such involvement, private sector has been used increase nhs capacity. in addition, there relatively minor sector crossover between public , private provision possible nhs patients treated in private healthcare facilities , nhs facilities let out private sector privately funded treatments or pre- , post-operative care. however, since private hospitals tend manage routine operations , lack level 3 critical care unit (or intensive therapy unit), unexpected emergencies may lead patient being transferred nhs hospital.

when blair government expanded role of private sector within nhs in england, scottish government reduced role of private sector within public healthcare in scotland , planned legislation prevent possibility of private companies running gp practices in future. later, in attempt comply scottish treatment time guarantee, 12-week target inpatient or day-case patients waiting treatment, nhs lothian spent £11.3 million on private hospital treatment nhs patients in 2013-14.

funding , performance of healthcare since devolution

in january 2010 nuffield trust published comparative study of nhs performance in england , devolved administrations since devolution, concluding while scotland, wales , northern ireland have had higher levels of funding per capita england, latter having fewer doctors, nurses , managers per head of population, english nhs making better use of resources delivering relatively higher levels of activity, crude productivity of staff, , lower waiting times. however, nuffield trust issued clarifying statement in admitted figures used make comparisons between scotland , rest of united kingdom inaccurate due figure medical staff in scotland being overestimated 27 per cent. using revised figures medical staffing, scotland s ranking relative other devolved nations on crude productivity medical staff changes, there no change relative england. nuffield trust study comprehensively criticised bma concluded whilst paper raises issues genuinely worth debating in context of devolution, these issues not tell full story, nor unambiguously disadvantage of devolved countries. emphasis on policies have been prioritised in england such maximum waiting times tend reflect badly on countries have prioritised spending increases in other areas including non-health ones.

in april 2014 nuffield trust produced further comparative report 4 health systems of uk: how compare? concluded despite publicised policy differences there little sign 1 country moving ahead of others consistently across available indicators of performance. complained there increasingly limited set of comparable data on 4 health systems of uk made comparison difficult.

in february 2016 organisation economic co-operation , development published review concluded performance of nhs in wales little different in rest of uk. described performance across uk mediocre saying great policies not being translated great practices. suggested gps should more involved in health boards , resources should shifted out of hospitals.