The Offers of the NHS and the Benefits
The term ‘healthcare’ doesn’t just mean giving you medicine when you’re sick or fixing your broken arm. It actually covers a lot more. The NHS covers a wide range of medical healthcare from finding the nearest GP in your local area, all the way to supporting the armed forces community. What I’m trying to say, is that the NHS does more than you might realise, and its benefits are very advantageous. Here are just a few of the benefits that we get to enjoy with the NHS.
EQUALITY – As it should be, everyone deserves the right to be healthy. There should never be an instance where someone cannot live because they simply cannot access the things they need to save them. The NHS is all for equality. Research has shown that those in the UK waiting for treatments and medicines had a tendency to not put off seeking medical attention because they were aware that they could access it, regardless of their financial situation, their class, employment or any other meaningless factor when it came to their health.
VALUE – No one can get away without paying tax that goes towards the NHS, and as a result, as mentioned earlier, there is no bill when you’re done. In 2017, a Commonwealth Fund report found that in a comparison of healthcare systems with 11 other wealthy countries, the NHS ranked first in overall quality, efficiency and access, all whilst paying the second lowest per head. And these countries weren’t pushovers either. The United States, France, Germany, Norway and Australia just to name a few had inferior healthcare systems to the UK. What this really says about the NHS, is that if medical emergencies don’t discriminate against people, then neither should the healthcare.
ADAPTABILITY – Once again, due to the public paying for the NHS, things like insurance don’t come into the picture as often as they would with private healthcare systems. This means that the NHS can adapt depending on new medicines, as well as new infections and viruses. You should never have to deal with a medical emergency because your insurance doesn’t cover it specifically. With newer technologies being implemented into the system, more people can recover quickly, without having to worry about whether or not they are liable for that treatment.
TOGETHERNESS – In a predominantly private healthcare country, competition can arise. The reason being, that when things are privately owned, they act as a business, that in order to remain open and successful has to rely on income. There is no need for competition within the NHS as it’s all part of one system. In some areas of the world, you might have to travel all the way across your country for a specific medicine, but not with the NHS. It shares its goals nationwide. It doesn’t matter if one area is doing better than the other, because it’s all under the same roof. Competition breeds shortcuts, and when it comes to your health, making decisions purely based around an income is not the way to deal with it.
PATIENTS FIRST – Finally, patients. As a patient, you are the most important thing. If you’ve broken your arm, you want your arm fixed. If you’re suffering from tonsilitis, you want to get some medication to solve it. Whatever it might be, you are the most important thing. As mentioned a moment ago, the NHS doesn’t need to make a profit to remain open. It’s publicly funded, and therefore, when it comes to the actual healthcare, that is the most important factor. And within that, is you. You are their primary concern. That is the wonder of the NHS
The NHS is a glorious institute. It helps people up and down the country, despite facing constant economic struggles over the past few years, and yet despite this, it’s remained undefeated, including during a global pandemic. That is the brilliance of the NHS, that is why it works wonders, and that above all else, why we must look after it, not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come.