In Britain, we pride ourselves on our National Health Service, but is it in danger of collapse?
YouGov Survey
YouGov recently released a survey regarding the British public’s opinions on the state of the NHS.
- Only 12% of those surveyed said they thought the NHS was being handled ‘well’, with 82% saying it is handled ‘badly’
- 69% believe the national state of NHS services is bad
- 28% consider the NHS worse than European healthcare systems, in comparison to 20% thinking it is better
- 56% believe the state of the NHS will worsen over the next few years, compared to 14% who think it will get better, and 22% who think it will remain in a similar state
- 39% of those surveyed believe Labour would handle the NHS best, with 11% of respondents saying the Conservatives would
From these findings, it is clear that the majority of Brits are more likely to view the NHS as being in a negative situation than a positive one.
YouGov’s findings also indicate that the NHS has become a political issue, wherein many voters are considering the impact of their vote on our health service.
Why is the NHS in Danger?
“the N.H.S., a proud symbol of Britain’s welfare state, is in the deepest crisis of its history: flooded by aging, enfeebled patients; starved of investment in equipment and facilities; and understaffed by doctors and nurses, many of whom are so burned out that they are either joining strikes or leaving for jobs abroad” –Andrew Testa, The New York Times
As summed up by Testa, the NHS is facing a bombardment of issues. One of these issues is staff shortages, due to many NHS workers leaving their professions. We only have to look at the amount of strikes over the past few years to see just how unhappy many NHS staff are. There is a huge issue wherein many feel undervalued, underpaid, and massively overworked, so it’s no wonder we are experiencing these staff vacancies.
Another issue the NHS is facing is our ever-ageing population. Most people develop more health issues as they get older, which leads to an enormous demand for NHS services. If we then combine our ageing population with the already long waiting lists that developed during the pandemic, it is clear to see how demand is outstripping supply. Simply, we do not have enough doctors, nurses, and facilities to treat all of our patients.
Additionally, due to the NHS being free at the point of use, some people use NHS services unnecessarily, going to the GP for things like common colds which are easily treated at home.
Over the years, there has also been a rising demand for mental health services. In 2000, it was estimated that 17.5% of adults aged 16-64 had common mental health disorders (such as anxiety and depression). This number rose to 18.9% in 2014. Alongside this trend, more people with mental health disorders are now seeking NHS treatment for them. The percentage of adults aged 16-74 with a common mental disorder who were accessing mental health treatment was 23.1% in 2000, rising to 39.4% in 2014. The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey is due in 2023/4 so we will have a more established idea of how this trend has continued since 2014 when that is released.