nhs Flashcards
(51 cards)
when was the nhs launched and why
The NHS was launched in 1948.
It was born out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth – one of the NHS’s core principles. With the exception of some charges, such as prescriptions, optical services and dental services, the NHS in England remains free at the point of use for all UK residents.
how many patients does the nhs in england deal with every 36 hours
The NHS in England deals with over 1 million patients every 36 hours.
how does the nhs compare with the healthcare systems of other countries
In 2014, the Commonwealth Fund declared that in comparison with the healthcare systems of 10 other countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the US) the NHS was the most impressive overall. The NHS was rated as the best system in terms of efficiency, effective care, safe care, co-ordinated care, patient-centred care and cost-related problems. It was also ranked second for equity.
how many people does the nhs employ
The NHS employs more than 1.5 million people, putting it in the top five of the world’s largest workforces, together with the US Department of Defence, McDonalds, Walmart and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
whats the spending on the nhs england
Planned spending for the Department of Health in England is approximately £124.7 billion in 2017/18. This includes £335 million of additional funding announced in the 2017 Autumn Budget.
Total health spending in England was around £125 billion in 2017/18 and was expected to rise to over £127 billion by 2019/20, taking inflation into account. In 2017/18 around £110 billion was spent on the NHS England budget
describe the increase in funding for the department of health
Though funding for the Department of Health continues to grow, the rate of growth has slowed considerably compared to historical trends. The Department of Health budget will grow by 1.2 per cent in real terms between 2009/10 and 2020/21. This is far below the long-term average increases in health spending of approximately 4 per cent a year (above inflation) since the NHS was established and the rate of increase needed based on projections by the Office of Budget Responsibility (4.3 per cent a year).
how has the spending on public health changed
Spending on public health services by councils was 8 per cent lower in 2017/18 compared to 2013/14 (on a like-for-like basis). Although, on the face of it, total council spending on public health services has increased in real terms over this period, this is partly due to budgets and responsibility for some children’s services transferring to local authorities. Once these are accounted for, the pressure on council budgets for services such as sexual health, and drug and alcohol misuse, becomes clearer.
In December 2018 the government published details of the public health grant for local authorities for 2019/20, which shows that the reductions to this element of public health funding will continue.
how has the spending on adult social care changed
Most social care is funded by local government. Spending on adult social care services by local authorities fell from £18.4 billion in 2009/10 to just under £17 billion in 2015/16, a real-terms cut of 8 per cent.
how has the number of hospital admissions in england increased
For example, between 2003/4 and 2015/16, the total number of admissions to hospital (elective and non-elective) increased by an average of 3.6 per cent a year. In the past three years, the rate of increase in A&E attendances and first outpatient attendances has accelerated
why has the number of hospital admissions in england increased
A growing population is one factor behind this but hospital activity is increasing at a faster rate than population growth. The increasing number of older people with complex conditions is also a significant factor as are changes in clinical practice and the way that services are provided. For example, an increase in day cases rather than overnight admissions has been the main driver for the rise in elective admissions between 2009/10 and 2016/17.
how much a year will the nhs england budget be increased
It comes after ministers announced the budget will be increased by £20bn a year by 2023.
what does the nhs ten year plan include
more personalised medicines, super quick emergency hospital visits, earlier detection of cancer, a greater focus on healthy lifestyle programmes for people with conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, more care in the community, use of more digital technologies, earlier access to mental health support
what does more personalised medicines mean
The idea is to create more effective treatments by tailoring them to the individual.
One of the ways this can be done is by carrying out tests to identify mutations in genes and then using the most appropriate medicine.
give examples of forms of personalised medicines
One of the ways this can be done is by carrying out tests to identify mutations in genes and then using the most appropriate medicine.
The NHS has already started doing this. The use of the breast cancer drug Herceptin for women with specific mutations in their cancer is an early example.
Other forms of personalised medicine are being introduced all the time. Just last year, NHS England agreed to pay for a new cancer therapy - CAR-T - for leukaemia. It works by re-programming the patient’s own immune system to target their cancer.
what does the plan promise about personalised medicine
The plan promises in the future all children with cancer and others with rare genetic conditions will have their whole genome mapped to use targeted treatments.
what is the problem with more personalised medicine
Many of these treatments are still in their infancy. It is unclear just how effective they will be in the future.
what do ‘super quick emergency hospital visits’ mean as part of the ten year plan
Patients are being promised “same-day emergency care”. Instead of being kept in overnight, new services, known as ambulatory care and frailty units, are being set up alongside A&E units to assess patients and treat them.
who are ambulatory care and frailty units particularly useful for
They are providing particularly useful for older patients and mean they do not need to be admitted on to wards where their chances of a long stay increase.
This is because any stay in hospital can lead to increased frailty for older people, which in turn means they need care to be arranged when they are discharged.
If that is not available they have to stay in hospital and, as a result, a vicious circle develops.
what does nhs england want to see happen to the number of ‘same-day’ hospital visits
NHS England want to see the number of “same-day” visits increase from a fifth to a third of admissions.
what is the problem with trying to make there be more ‘super quick emergency hospital visits’
A&E units are under the cosh - and these new services can find themselves swamped by patients as staff try to move them quickly through the system. There has been suggestions the four-hour target to be seen and treated in A&E could be relaxed to ease the pressure.
describe the ambition of the ten year plan to have earlier detection of cancer
Currently only half of people diagnosed with cancer have the disease identified early - at stages one or two.
The ambition has been set to increase that to three-quarters. In doing so, the government says 55,000 lives could be saved in the next 10 years if this is achieved.
what is one of the key developments to achieve earlier diagnosis of cancers
One of the key developments to achieve earlier diagnosis is the creation of rapid diagnostic centres where patients can get a range of different tests and consultations with cancer specialists done on the same day.
One of the problems with cancer is that symptoms can present themselves in a number of different ways and it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what cancer a patient has.
It can lead to constant referrals back and forth between GPs and hospitals. These diagnostic centres - being trialled in 10 places - could help solve that and ensure quicker diagnosis.
what is the problem with the ambition in the ten year plan to achiever earlier diagnosis of cancers
Like all areas of the NHS, cancer services are struggling to recruit staff. There are particularly acute problems with chemotherapy nurses and cancer doctors. Meanwhile, the key waiting time target to get treatment within 62 days of referral has been missed for months.
describe the focus on making the public live healthier lifestyles in the ten year plan
A clear message from the plan is that the public have a responsibility for their own health. Evidence from the most recent Health Survey for England shows nearly nine in 10 people have an unhealthy lifestyle habit, such as excess drinking, poor diet or smoking. Half have at least two.
The extra money being put into non-hospital services will mean a bigger focus on prevention, NHS England says.
That could mean a greater focus on healthy lifestyle programmes for people with conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
The plan champions the National Diabetes Prevention Programme which offers support to people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes to improve their diet and physical activity habits.
