The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (the NHS) has been in existence since 1948, when it was launched as part of the Welfare State formed after the end of World War 2 (1939-1945). Since that time, it has grown into the largest publicly-funded health service in the world.
The principle behind the NHS is, and has always been, that good medical care should be available to everyone, whatever their financial circumstances may be. Unlike other countries where access to medical care is entirely dependent upon the patient’s ability to pay, the NHS remains free at the point of use (with the exception of optical and dental services and some prescriptions) for anyone resident in the UK. The medical care provided by the NHS is paid for from general taxation.
However, unfortunately the standard of NHS healthcare varies considerably throughout different regions of the country. This phenomenon, generally referred to as the “postcode lottery”, is highlighted in the NHS Atlas of Variation – an online series of thirty-four maps which collates the result of a NHS survey into the geographical differences in standards of care. The differences between the best and worst areas are astounding, ranging from a fourfold variation in the level of care of stroke patients, via a fourteen-fold variation in the amount spent on broken hips, to a staggering thirty-eight-fold variation in rates of surgery for obesity.
One way in which some people seek to avoid the “postcode lottery” is by taking out private health insurance, which will cover the cost of receiving medical care privately. Private health care offers several advantages: there is generally less variation in the standard of care throughout the country, waiting lists tend to be far shorter than the NHS equivalents for the same procedures, and the timing of treatment and operations can usually be selected to suit the patient’s individual requirements. But most private hospitals usually concern themselves with routine operations only, and very few of them are equipped with the appropriate critical care units which would be necessary for dealing with medical emergencies.
A vital role is played by pharmacists in the provision of good-quality medical care. Pharmacists’ skills combine clinical expertise with practical knowledge, and extend well beyond merely dispensing prescriptions. They are also able to offer advice on common medical problems such as colds, coughs and general aches and pains, and where appropriate can suggest suitable over-the-counter remedies or, if appropriate, advise if a visit to a doctor is necessary. It is worth bearing in mind that a pharmacist, unlike any other type of trained specialist, can be consulted without an appointment and completely free of charge.
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