Healthcare in England

 

A major perk many people see with living in the United Kingdom is free healthcare. This concept has rocked political debates in the United States, but how does the healthcare system work throughout the UK?

In the United Kingdom they use a department titled the “NHS” who is in charge of all healthcare. However, there are 4 different branches for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While each branch has many similarities, they do have some operating differences. According to the NHS, the English branch has partnered with the government to develop a “Long Term Plan”. This plan features a variety of tactics developed with the intention to make those in the UK healthier. Weight loss, smoking prevention, alcohol care, and the prevention of antimicrobial resistance are all goals within the plan. Ideally this theory can improve the general well being of the people of England, leading to less need for healthcare and a happier society as a whole.

Another major difference between the English NHS and the rest of the United Kingdom is the requirement to pay for prescriptions. According to the Institute for Government, while taxpayer’s dollars fund the majority of England’s NHS, they are the only of the four nations that requires its individuals to pay for prescriptions themselves, instead of it being covered like everything else. This could, of course, cause some difficulties for people. Especially those with long-term health conditions who could be paying for multiple medications for years or even the rest of their lives.

This lacking financial assistance toward prescriptions can make the other three countries' NHS branches seem much better, however they all have their difficulties. Also according to the Institute for Government, both England and Northern Ireland utilize a “purchaser/provider split” meaning that a health service must have a contract with the NHS to supply patients with care. Meanwhile, Scotland and Wales revoked that process, instead opting to run all of their care directly through themselves.

Another quite interesting detail I found on the Institute for Government is that in Scotland local authorities have a strong amount of control when it comes to leading their people and their health. Promoting healthy movement like walking or biking gives the local government a way to motivate their people to live a healthier life. The government of both Scotland and Wales also has a major job caring for their people’s mental health, which many people see as important within our modern world.

All in all the healthcare system has differences within the separate parts of the United Kingdom. However free healthcare can have some major difficulties. As someone who has dealt with two chronic illnesses, Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, I was fortunate enough to access a specialist, who provided me with the correct treatment and gold-standard operation my body needed. However, according to women with endometriosis on sites such as Facebook, getting that same treatment in the United Kingdom is nearly impossible. With so many individuals looking for treatment, women have said the waiting list for a private specialist (not covered by NHS) lasts for years. Endometriosis is a severely under-researched condition, meaning these women wait around 10 years to receive a proper diagnosis, let alone an extra few years to meet with a specialist for treatment.

So with that being said, I believe it is important to be aware that there are difficulties in every healthcare system, especially for those with long-term conditions or chronic illnesses. So while the free healthcare system sounds appealing, it would not be something I would appreciate living with. As my life goes on and I need more treatments I would not want to find myself on a multi-year waiting list for pain that causes me suffering in my day-to-day life. 

If I had to choose a region to live in based on their healthcare, I would likely choose Scotland for their emphasis on general healthy living, which I view to be very important. However, like I said, I also appreciate the specialist at my fingertips with the healthcare system I live under in the United States.