Resource Allocation

Question 1

Why must we prioritise?

Answer 1

Difficult decisions have to be made as demand is higher than supply

Question 2

What’s NHS expenditure predicted to be this year?

Answer 2

120.611 billion

Question 3

Why is demand on NHS rising?

Answer 3

Increasing elderly population
Increasing incidence of cancer
More people with long term conditions

Question 4

Why can we not supply all treatments?

Answer 4

Expensive
Lack of cures
Prevent or drugs

Question 5

How do you make sure setting priorities of the NHS is ethical?

Answer 5

Be clear and explicit about what the aim is and who is benefiting from public expenditure

Question 6

Compare the two forms of rationing?

Answer 6

Explicit: based on defined rules of entitlement
Implicit: care is limited but decision and the base of the decision is not clearly expressed in through individuals clinical decisions

Question 7

What’s the problem with implicit rationing?

Answer 7

Inequities and discrimination
Open to abuse
Based on perception
Doctors unwilling to do it

Question 8

What are the advantages of explicit rationing?

Answer 8

Transparency 
Accountability 
Debatable 
Evidence based 
Equality

Question 9

What’s the disadvantages of explicit reasoning?

Answer 9

Complex
Heterogeneity of patients and illness not considered 
Patient and professional hostility 
Clinical freedom reduced
Patients distressed