NHS issues Flashcards
1
Q
biggest challenges facing the NHS ?
A
- Ageing population
- privatisation
- understaffing
2
Q
what parts of the NHS may need more funding
A
- social care
- MH and psychiatry
- primary care
- particular regions
- preventative medicine
3
Q
issue with the ageing population
A
- people living longer and acquiring many medical conditions requiring complexed network of meds
- these interact with each other to make individual cases more complexed and branch out across specialties
- teamwork more important, as each patient demands more time, resources and energy from physicians
4
Q
issues with privatisation
A
- goal to provide care that is quality and free at point of use
- privatisation of components threatens this as does the threat of US style insurance based systems
- wealthy lobbyists for privatisation of parts of the NHS
- government may make deals with US government as part of trade negotiations to give large pharmaceutical companies more power in the UK
5
Q
issues with understaffing
A
- many healthcare workers move to countries with better working conditions such as Australia
- Brexit decreased the number of international workers coming to the UK to contribute to the NHS
- stretched resources thinner and makes it harder to give patients the care they deserve
6
Q
why does social care need more funding
A
- chronically underfunded to the point that some elderly people remain in geriatric wards because care homes lack capacity
7
Q
why does MH and psychiatry need more funding
A
- waiting lists disproportionately long
- in particular waiting lists for patients experiencing suicidal thoughts can be up to a year or two in some areas of the country
8
Q
why does primary care need more funding
A
- gp services vary sicnificantly in funding
- some function well
- some in overpopulated areas struggle to cater to their entire patient base specifically
9
Q
why do particular regions need more funding ?
A
- healthcare inequality is very real
- especially in rural areas
10
Q
why does preventative medicine need more funding ?
A
- preventing illness and injury
- for example by investing in public health campaigns
11
Q
A
