The National Health Service (NHS) is made up of four publicly health funded services, National Health Service England (NHS), Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI), NHS Scotland and NHS Wales. In 1948 the NHS was founded, although only the English NHS is officially called the National Health Services all services are known as the NHS. It was a Labour Government elected in 1945 that brought about the NHS and it was established so that all who needed medical treatment could have access to it regardless of class or wealth. It was brought about so that medical equality was accessible to each and every individual. Still to this day it runs the same way and has offered citizens of the United Kingdom one of the best health care services in the world.
Medical Negligence
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that more recently the NHS has been in the papers for the wrong reasons. Over the past few years there has been arise in the amount of medical negligence cases brought against the NHS and they have had to set aside a massive one fifth of the NHS’s budget to cope with the future medical negligence cases they may be faced with. Figures from July last year showed that the NHS had to secure 22.7 billion pounds for liabilities that they may come up against, a huge 22 per cent rise in just one year. It has been reported by the Daily Telegraph that over the past five year’s scandal in NHS hospital has cost 300 million pounds. Hospitals which have been investigated for high death rates are costing twice as much as what is originally paid in to insurance schemes. Which is having a massive knock on effect on other hospitals as they in terms of funds. The NHS Litigation Authority which is the board for investigating the claims made against the NHS are aware that the number of claims may continue to rise therefore more money which is not available may be needed in compensation. Between 2008/2009 and 2012/2013 the NHS paid in 203 million pounds in to an insurance scheme but paid out 291 million pounds in compensation claims. Those who feel that they have been a victim of medical negligence can contact services such as MedicalNegligenceAssist.co.uk No Win No Fee medical negligence claims for assistance.
UK Hospitals Improving
The NHS Confederation is the membership body for all organisations that commission and provide NHS services. They represent 95 per cent of all NHS organisations and have acquired some independent organisation that offer health care. There fundamental aims are to provide an ever improving first class health service for all by using the patient as the key and most valuable part of the organisation and constantly looking at ways to deliver a high quality service. So it goes without saying that the recent scandals connected have brought about changes. NHS Confederation have published a report for improving services looking at approaches adopted from both the UK and American health services that have made massive success in improving the quality of their service showing emphasizes around the idea of the patient being centre.
It is a common denominator among staff at NHS health services that improvements need to be made as too many patients are receiving not only inadequate treatment but general inadequate care also. Critics have profoundly argued that basic fundamental needs of patients are not being met. Simple tasks of being compassionate and understanding towards a patient and their needs are core aspects that are not being carried out. It has been recognised that services that centre around the patient offer a much more high quality service. The 2009 Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found that improvements concerning improving patients experience were being made on previous years but a lot was still left to do in gaining results with which would result in a high quality service. The board has established that patients want to be treated as individuals and not as an entity, they want to have an active part in decisions that are made about their care and treatment. They have reviewed three case studies from American organisations that provide high patient quality services which inturn has shown excellent records for mortality and patient safety. The board are in constant review of how each hospitals are implementing and improving patient experience strategies and are conducting repetitive surveys to establish each and every area that is in need for improvement. It has been recognised that there in no one key aspect that will improve all but many that will give overall success.
Here are a few key points to improving to a high quality service;
– Having a key leader that has drive, sustainability and vision will lead organisation in to constant reform and development.
– Having patients and their families at the forefront of any decision making and that there constant involvement is needed at all time.
– Feedback exercises are key so that flaws within the organisation can be spotted and resolved.
– Implementing and integrating activities rather than individual and separate ones.
The report successfully discovers the problems and issues faced by the NHS and comes up with solutions to resolve and not only fix the problems but to largely improve the issues faced by the health care service every day. The reports from the NHS Confederation examines how successful healthcare organisation both in the UK and America have gained the credibility and achieved a service that is next to none and have extracted the key elements so that they can be mirrored in organisations that are struggling. The overall feel of the report suggests that patients being of core value is vital to any health care facility. When patients need any type of negligence free advice it’s better to use a no win no fee solicitor with no hidden costs for example by visiting http://www.medicalnegligenceassist.co.uk and getting the right advice can save patients time and also money.
