"14,000 Die Waiting in Emergency Rooms"... UK Announces Healthcare System Reform

Satisfaction with UK Healthcare System Hits Lowest Since Survey Began
Causes Include Reduced Investment, Austerity, and COVID-19
"Courage Needed to Start Long-Term Reform"

Photo unrelated to the article. Source=Pixabay

The UK government has announced plans to reform the healthcare system as the number of deaths increases due to long waiting times in emergency rooms.

According to a recent BBC report, Senator Ara Daji, former Deputy Minister of Health under the Gordon Brown administration, diagnosed in a government-commissioned investigation report that "the current National Health Service (NHS) is in a precarious state." This investigation was commissioned by the Starmer government immediately after its inauguration to address the deterioration of public healthcare, which was one of the major issues during the early July general election.

The UK operates hospitals through public funding, allowing citizens to receive most medical services free of charge except for some treatments like dental care. Satisfaction with this public healthcare system reached 70% in 2010 but dropped to a record low of 24% last year since the survey began.

The report cited research from the Emergency Medical Association stating that "long waiting times in England's Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments may be causing approximately 14,000 additional deaths annually." It further noted, "This exceeds twice the number of British military casualties since the NHS was established in 1948."

Currently, the number of people in the UK waiting over a year for hospital treatment that should be received within 18 weeks has increased from 20,000 in 2010 to 300,000. This represents a 15-fold increase over 14 years. Although resources have increased, including a 17% rise in hospital staff since 2019, productivity has actually decreased by 11.4%.

The report identified causes for the decline in hospital efficiency as government austerity measures in the 2010s, the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduced capital investment. In particular, it pointed out that "compared to other advanced countries, a ?37 billion (approximately 62.8 trillion KRW) shortfall in capital investment has created poor hospital environments." Public health has also worsened, with 2.8 million people unable to work due to health issues as of early this year. Cancer mortality rates are also higher than those in other developed countries.

In his speech that day, Prime Minister Starmer said, "What we need now is the courage to start long-term reform," adding, "It must be a major operation, not just a band-aid fix." He also emphasized, "Without reform, we will not spend more money. We know workers cannot afford to pay additional taxes," and stressed, "Without reform, there is only death." Finally, he added, "We must fix the plumbing before turning on the tap," and pledged to proceed with a 10-year long-term plan.

Meanwhile, the UK government has introduced a 10-year long-term plan featuring a 'Digital NHS' that makes greater use of technology. It also aims to shift patient care from overloaded hospitals to community facilities and pursue public health focused on disease prevention.