The latest opinion poll conducted in the UK show that the level of public satisfaction with the healthcare services of this country has reached its lowest level amid a massive strike by doctors, nurses and ambulance workers. According to one of the senior representatives of the parliament, people are praying that they will go to UK hospitals. According to these cases, it should be checked what the reasons for the increase in dissatisfaction with medical services in the UK are. Also, what has been the rate of decrease in the satisfaction of the British with health care services in recent years?
Key factors in general dissatisfaction with medical services
The British National Health Service (NHS) was launched for the first time in 1948, after the end of the Second World War, to provide medical services to the injured and wounded in war, and currently, with one million and 600 thousand employees, it offers free of charge to the people. The British Social Attitudes (BSA) findings show that only 29% of people are satisfied with health care services in this country. Meanwhile, the main reasons for dissatisfaction are long waits in health centres and a need for more medical staff. There is a deep level of mistrust, from emergency services and medical care in UK hospitals to family doctors and dentists. This dissatisfaction can be seen in different ages, income groups and genders among the supporters of other political parties. The comparison of statistics shows that public satisfaction with medical services has dropped by 7% compared to last year and decreased by 29% compared to 2010.
Free medical services are a factor of satisfaction
The only common factor in public satisfaction is free medical services. According to the British Social Attitudes findings, 80% believe that medical expenses should be financed from income from duties and taxes. 43% believe that the government should increase taxes to improve medical services.
Changing the public attitude towards medical services
Dan Wellings, the senior fellow at the King’s Fund think tank, says the British Public Attitudes Institute findings should be a warning to those in power. He warned that changing the public attitude towards medical services would take a long time due to decreased satisfaction.
The problem of access to optimal medical services
Louise Ansari, National Director of Healthwatch England, also said: “People continue telling us about the difficulties they face getting through to their local practice, including long waits on the phone, issues with online booking systems and a lack of available face-to-face appointments.” She said that the healthcare organization in the UK is facing a storm of increasing demand, a weaker population after the Covid-19 pandemic, shortages and labour strikes, and this is a very worrying situation.
Conservatives’ mismanagement
Wes Streeting, the Shadow health secretary, also said: “After 13 years of Conservative mismanagement, Britain feels broken. It seems to many as if nothing in our country is working.” Matthew Taylor, executive director of the Confederation of National Health Services, believes that the British health system could be more cost-effective due to the increase in the country’s population. In his statements showing traces of his support for the plan to privatise the British health system, Keir Starmer, the opposition party leader, stated that carrying out reforms is the only way to save the country’s National Medical Services Organization.
Deterioration of health care in the UK after Brexit
The common findings of a survey conducted by the prestigious YouGov show that according to two-thirds of the British people, the level of medical services in this country is dire, and eighty per cent believe that the situation has worsened over the past five years, that, after the UK exit from the EU.
The death of patients in the corridors of UK hospitals
The results of the latest research conducted in the UK show that the length of time that emergency patients have to wait for medical services throughout the UK’s health centres has never been recorded. Studies conducted by the Times show that over the past 12 months, 50,000 more Englishmen than usual have died due to delays in providing medical services. Meanwhile, during Christmas week alone, the death toll increased by a fifth due to long waits for ambulances, cold weather and flu outbreaks.
Public pessimism about the future of healthcare services
The participants in this survey were pessimistic about the end of the healthcare system in this country, and 58% said that the situation would worsen in the next few years. According to statistical data, 63% do not believe that the medical service organization of this country can provide timely services in emergencies.
The long delay in providing medical services
The findings of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in England indicate that in 2022, 1.65 million patients will wait more than 12 hours to receive medical services. Meanwhile, according to research by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, long waits have disastrous consequences for patient safety and mortality. Comparing the statistics of patients who died in the emergency room between 2016 and 2018, this British institution has concluded that one more death was recorded for every 72 patients who waited for 8 to 12 hours in the emergency room.
The possibility of the collapse of the NHS
England’s National Health Service says the figures are “implausible to give a full or certain picture” of the number of patient deaths. But Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in England, clarified that although this statistic is shocking, it is not surprising. After seven decades of providing free services to the citizens of this country, the NHS has reached the stage of collapse more than ever due to the severe lack of financial resources and rising internal protests.
Resignation of specialists from working in the British health system
Statistical data show that patients in the emergency department wait more than 15 hours for the doctor to admit them to the department. This is while, according to studies, about 44% of UK hospital consultant respondents intend to resign from working in the British health system.
Adverse effects of losing NHS doctors
Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, says: “These figures make for bleak reading. The NHS is already at breaking point and cannot afford to lose any of its staff, never mind facing the prospect of losing nearly half of its most senior doctors. Not only will this have a significant adverse impact on patient care, but this loss of doctors will also increase pressure on those staff who remain in the workforce, further increasing the risk of burnout.”
The critical situation of the British health system after the strikes
British health officials say that last December was one of the most challenging months in the history of the country’s health service. Dozens of health centres in the UK declared a state of emergency as emergency department staff went on strike and a record number of patients waited in UK hospital corridors.
Medical centre workers strike due to unfavourable working conditions.
Hundreds of medical centre employees have stopped working in protest against unfavourable working conditions and low wages in the past few months and have planned to hold a strike in the coming weeks and months. They demand a salary increase higher than the inflation rate, which the government cannot afford due to the budget deficit and deep economic problems.
