Challenges to the UK Health Care System Essay - 1165 Words

Introduction In line with the majority of other developed countries, the United Kingdom (UK) has offered its citizens a universal health care system that is free at the point of service. Funded primarily by taxation, the system is popular and efficient. However, along with most other health care systems around the world, it faces a series of challenges if it is to maintain viability, in the twenty-first century. These issues include; long waiting times, an aging population, funding challenges and the increasing cost of technology. History of Health Care in the UK The UK is a sovereign country of almost 61,000,000 people comprising the nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A highly evolved democratic country†¦show more content†¦It also monitors the quality of services provided and develops new policies. The performance of the NHS is also monitored by the Health-Care Commission, an independent executive agency that performs annual reviews and ratings, and investigates complaints. According to Johnson and Stoskopf (2008) there are a number of dimensions for measuring health care systems. The three most frequent include: â€Å"population health measures, system efficiency measures, and patient perceptions† (p.74). Other clinical measurements commonly used include infant mortality rates and life expectancy. The UK has an infant mortality rate of 4.93 deaths per 1,000 live births, and an average life expectancy of 78.85 years. Funding for the NHS is a combination of private and public sources. All legal UK residents have access to the NHS and pay a payroll tax, which equates approximately to 10% of earnings. Although health care provided by the NHS is largely free, there are fees for certain services such as prescriptions, dental and optician services, which are paid by all citizens who are working and make more than minimum wage. Recent Reforms In 2000, an effort was made by the UK government to resolve certain inequalities that had developed within the NHS by releasing the â€Å"NHS Plan of 2000.† This plan greatly increased spending on employee pay, infrastructure, and access to services. Despite almost doubling spending in a ten year period,Show MoreRelatedThe Development of Social and Healthcare Systems in the UK1683 Words   |  7 PagesSocial and health care is one of the most important areas of attention in the modern world today. As human beings, we all have been or will be in need of some sort of care in our lives. Old age is a particularly prevalent aspect of care that has received considerable attention in the literature and the press. 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