Monday, February 28, 2011

"...striking and troubling differences between the four nations, some accentuated since devolution."

The Nuttfield Trust have published a report (pdf) on the UK's balkanised health service:
Historically Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have had higher levels of NHS funding per capita thanEngland. The research confirms this but shows other striking and troubling differences between the four nations, some accentuated since devolution.

In particular, these were higher numbers of doctors, nurses and managers per head of population, lower crude productivity per staff member (particularly in Scotland), and a higher percentage of the population waiting for care in Wales and Northern Ireland than in England.

The analysis presented in this report suggests that England’s NHS spends less and has fewer staff per capita than the health services in the devolved countries, but that it makes better use of its resources with respect to delivering higher levels of activity and productivity and lower waiting times. Comparing the devolved nations with regions of England that are similar on a range of health and socio-economic indicators, the differences highlighted in the analysis are even more pronounced.
Well done Devolution.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The devolved institutions are still full of politicians who aren't used to making decisions that have consequences; they all would rather still make populist decisions that provide good sound bites on the tea-time news.

Anonymous said...

Isn't this a bit old?

January 2010?

The Aberdonian said...

A question for you concerning the health service(s) - if the UK government introduced GP consultation fees for "those who can pay" for England - would you be at the barricades demanding they be introduced for Northern Ireland whatever the NI Assembly decided.

O'Neill said...

Anonymous 2

Well spotted:)
I got it from:
http://www.govtoday.co.uk/Health/Public-Health/nhs-england-best-within-uk.html

and I'm guessing its findings are as relevant today?

Aberdonian,

I want to pay as little as possible of my hard-earned to the state BUT if I am paying exactly the same income taxes as other UK citizens then I should have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as other UK citizens.

The Aberdonian said...

So theoretically since local government gets most of its money from the Treasury one way or another, do you think it is unfair that in some parts of the UK you get charged for using a council-owned public toilet but it is free in other parts.

Back in the day of regional councils, Moray charged to use their facilities but Aberdeen did not. Fair on principal?

O'Neill said...

There's surely a world of difference between being denied a free public toilet due to regional discrimination and being denied equal medical treatment due to regional discrimination?