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Health Care Reform and the NHS. UK health care expenditure (HCE) How NHS compares with other countries Health care reform Past, and current, ‘reforms’ in the UK The future?. Health Care ‘Industry’. Annual ‘sales’ of approximately £60bn - more than defence, education or local govt.
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Health Care Reform and the NHS • UK health care expenditure (HCE) • How NHS compares with other countries • Health care reform • Past, and current, ‘reforms’ in the UK • The future?
Health Care ‘Industry’ • Annual ‘sales’ of approximately £60bn - more than defence, education or local govt. • Equivalent to approximately 7% GDP or £1,000 per capita • Employs approximately 800,000 people - of whom around 60% (500,000) are nurses
Three issues in interpreting HCE Health care expenditure is influenced by: • Changes in national income (GDP) • Population growth & demographic profile • Inflation
Why might HCE increase? • Aging population? • Spread of private health insurance? • Advances in technology? • Increased income?
Why does HCE GDP? • Need • Tastes and preferences • Efficiency
What HCE ignores • Distribution - equity • Outcomes/quality of care/benefits • Mix of services • Technical efficiency
Summary • UK historically low HCE w.r.t OECD • Levels of health broadly comparable • Relatively equitable, although threatened • Problems? Waiting lists/time, geog. variations
Health Care Reform ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I should go from here?’ Alice asked the Cheshire Cat. ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland