Brits bottom of waiting list

Brits bottom of international waiting list
British patients have to wait longer for treatment than those in other, similar developed countries, research has revealed.

A study by US think tank the Commonwealth Fund found that more patients in Britain who underwent non-emergency surgery in the past two years reported waiting six months or longer than in the US, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Australia.

And the study, which asked 12,000 adults about their health system, rated the NHS as "worst" or "almost worst" for waiting lists, treatment and quality of care.

According to the survey, which included responses from 1,500 people in Britain, 15% of British patients reported waiting six months or more for non-emergency surgery - more than in any other country.
Just under a quarter of British respondents (23%) said they were not confident of receiving care using the most advanced and effective medical technology - the second highest proportion among the seven countries.
However, the highest medical error rate was reported to be in the US. One-third of US patients (32%) with chronic conditions reported a medical, medication, or lab test error in the past two years, compared with 28% of patients in Canada, 26% in Australia, and fewer patients in the other countries.

In the US, 37% of all adults surveyed - and 42% of those with chronic conditions - skipped medications, did not see a doctor when sick, or did not obtain recommended care in the past year because of the cost. These rates are "well above" those found in the other six countries, researchers said. Few people in Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK reported skipping care because they could not afford it.

Researchers said that affordability concerns also may well be the reason that a third (34%) of US respondents said the healthcare system needs to be rebuilt completely. This was the highest rate of any of the seven countries.

Health Insurance Magazine 08 November 2007