| > The amount of waste in terms of time and money were eye-watering, every time. While there is waste in any organization, overall the NHS is perhaps the most efficient healthcare system in the developed world. The US spends as much on public healthcare as the UK yet large numbers are left uninsured (while spending the same again on private healthcare.) [1] > I'm not saying we should copy the Americans, no way, but the Japanese system is private, the German system is private, the Dutch and French systems are also private. If we want Japanese/German/Dutch/French levels of service then we have to be willing pay what the Japanese/German/Dutch/French in their health service, around 11% of GDP instead of the UK's 9% of GDP. Yet despite spending significantly less than Germany/Franch/Netherlands the UK mostly compares favourably on health outcomes. [2] [3] [4] Should the UK spend more on healthcare? Probably some. But it may not be the best way to improve health outcomes. Infant mortality is higher in the UK than France or Germany (though not nearly as bad as the US.) Given infant mortality is highly correlated to inequality it may be more effective to spend more on redistribution than health care. As populations age, and the need for healthcare increases commensurately amd efficiency becomes vital in healthcare provision. Insurance based system (as in France and Germany) cost more for equivalent outcomes. [1] http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?DataSetCode=HEALTH_STAT [2] http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/20... (full report http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/f...) [3] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/... [4] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/... |