How to fix the NHS
Money will help. But a radical shift in focus is more important
Britons are prouder of their health-care system than they are of the monarchy. But when the English National Health Service (NHS) turns 75 in July, the mood will not be celebratory. Hospital waiting lists in England spiral beyond 7m, forcing many to wait months or even years for treatment. Almost 300,000 adults are waiting for a social-care assessment. A record 2.5m Britons are out of work because they are sick. NHS staff are leaving the workforce in droves. On basic measures of health, Britain suffers by comparison with its rich-world peers. Its people barely live any longer than they did a decade ago, and have some of the worst survival rates for diseases such as cancer. During the pandemic the public clapped for the NHS. Now they are more likely to throw up their hands in frustration.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “How to fix the NHS”
From the May 27th 2023 edition
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