Universal Healthcare in the UK
- L.N.
- Jul 2, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: May 19, 2023
"No society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of a lack of means."
— Aneurin Bevan, Minister for Health in the UK (1945-1951)
The main reason I chose to study in England is because of their renowned Beveridge model.
You see, there are 4 main types of healthcare systems: Beveridge, Bismarck, National Health Insurance, and Out-of-Pocket models.
Out of those 4, can you guess which one the U.S. has?
None.
Our system is a mixed bag of everything and nothing at the same time. In other words, we don’t really have a system.
Shocker, I know.
Now, I don’t want to bore you with descriptions of each model or get into the nitty-gritty of which country has which system (which you can read about on your own in this article) because as you can tell from the title, we’re talking about the UK.
Beveridge Model, an originally British model in which healthcare is provided and financed by the government through taxes (private care still exists in a small capacity). You’ve probably heard this referred to as socialized medicine. Other countries like Spain, New Zealand, and Cuba also have this system— and despite what we know about the U.S., we practice the Beveridge model through our own Veteran Affairs benefits.
Proposals for a universal healthcare system have been a constant topic of debate in the U.S., even in my own household, so I trust that many of you understand the concept.
Do you think the U.S. should adopt universal healthcare?
Yes, everyone should have health insurance through the gov't
Yes, but people should have the right to choose private too
No, the government should not have a say in healthcare
No, but keep Medicare/Medicaid
You can vote for more than one answer.
The NHS
If you've traveled to the UK at least once, then you know what the NHS or National Health Service is. Their logo is plastered on every ambulance, clinic, hospital, and pretty much anything having to do with healthcare.
It's a massive government body and the second-largest single-payer healthcare system in the world. No wonder, I wanted to come study here.
For so long, I had a rose-colored lens on the UK’s healthcare system. I thought the beloved NHS was the best at delivering equitable and accessible healthcare for its citizens.
Seems like there’s a big ‘but’ coming on, but not really.
A few things you should know:
The UK spends12.8% of its GDP on healthcare (unlike the U.S. at 19.7%)
All citizens are covered
Their population health metrics (i.e. infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.) are better than the U.S.
The UK falters in amenable mortality
The People’s Perspective
Once in a taxi cab, my Yugoslavian driver, Arsin, took a call with his general practitioner (or GP as they like to call it) and seemed very displeased with the interaction. Arsin has lived in the UK for almost 30 years now and was quick to express how great the NHS was. However, according to him, it seems to have fallen short lately.
As expected, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many doctors to switch to Telehealth services. However, now that the pandemic has subdued, many are concerned as to when they can have in-person services.
Additionally, for my Comparative Healthcare Systems course, we had an interesting assignment where we interviewed people at Hyde Park about their experience with the NHS. Luckily for you, I’ve attached an abridged audio clip for you all to listen. You’ll be hearing from an older gentleman, a younger man, and an American mom living in London.
Overall, there was a general acceptance that the NHS is a decent healthcare model or, at least, better than the US.
However, a few people did draw attention to some of the NHS’s inefficiencies. I’ve heard rumors about these inefficiencies before, but this exercise sparked my curiosity. Just how inefficient is it?
I decided to do my own research and found that a lot of the ‘inefficiencies’ are actually quite false.
However, there is evidence of staffing and capacity shortages in public NHS hospitals. Luckily, the government recognizes the concerns about the NHS’s inefficiencies and put forth a mandate for its improvement.
At the end of the day, I am still a big supporter of the NHS and universal healthcare. While it may not be the best, England's approach to healthcare is better than what I've experienced in the States -- and their citizens seem to think so too.
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