English getting better medical care than Scots
SCOTLAND’S NHS is lagging behind its English counterpart despite a huge boost in spending, a new report has revealed.
NHS Scotland, fully under the control of Holyrood, was ranked 16th out of 36 health services across Europe, two places below England.
The devolved health service ranks lower despite spending £200 more per head than the NHS in England, with experts blaming poor access to vital cancer drugs among the reasons for its diminished status.
The Euro Health Consumer Index, produced by Swedish-based Health Consumer Powerhouse, also says that NHS Scotland is among the worst in Europe for failing to provide patients with information about the results of individual doctors and hospitals.
It comes despite the SNP insisting throughout the independence referendum that remaining in Britain was a “threat” to the NHS due to health boards south of the Border being allowed to rely partly on private provision.
But Scotland Office figures show that since 2010, health spending in Scotland has increased by £1.3billion and the Scottish Government’s healthcare budget for 2014/15 stands at £12billion.
Critics say that the index shows that simply throwing money at the NHS does not necessarily improve it.
The index, to be presented at a health seminar in Brussels tomorrow, says that NHS Scotland has failed to discourage heavy drinking, blood pressure problems and make Scots exercise more.
For NHS managers, that has to be a wake-up call
It is also slated for providing patients with “poor access to new cancer drugs” and the lack of provision for people to book appointments online.
The index also says that Scotland rates poorly for treating depression and offers too few opportunities for dialysis outwith clinics.
It says that the NHS in England “is somewhat more generous with regard to the span of offered services”.
Arne Bjornberg, the report’s author, said that Scotland should follow France and Germany in allowing decisions to be made by local medics rather than by politicians.
The Netherlands had the highest rated health service, along with Switzerland, France and Germany.
“The report demonstrates clearly that the way the NHS is being managed needs reform,” said Mr Bjornberg.
“For NHS managers, that has to be a wake-up call.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Simply reducing the performance of healthcare systems to a league table is misguided and ill-informed and we reject the conclusions of this report.”
