On Health and Wellbeing
When Nye Bevan implemented the National Health Service, it was recognised that providing good health to all, free at the point of access, is vital to the prosperity, health, prosperity, and safety of the country. When people are healthy, they thrive, are less stressed, live longer and over their life time, they will cost the country less, both financially and by their contribution to society.
Having worked in various health settings, here and abroad, I can see that the NHS has been prevented from delivering for the nation in recent years. For the first time, the life expectancy in the UK has not been increasing, even prior to the pandemic, and more people are sick and unable to work1. 4.2 million children (29% of all UK children) are now in poverty – up from 3.6 million in 2010-11, with more children suffering dental decay, obesity and asthma, especially in deprived areas2. The challenge to improve the UK’s health is complex.
We need a health and care service, that is publicly owned, run with local community involvement, including both staff and users of heath & care, with a focus on preventing poor health. Government policies are rarely evaluated for the impact on health. Poor housing, unemployment, exposure to pollution and inequality lead to costs to health that equate to about 1/5 of the total NHS budget3.
The NHS and care sector are currently facing a massive staffing crisis. Both NHS and care staff are leaving the profession due to poor pay – for example care staff not being paid the minimum wage when working a “sleepover” shift, or more than a decade of below inflation NHS pay rises. Despite strike action by nurses and doctors, the government continues to offer sub-inflation pay rises. Furthermore, the loss of staff is leading to a vicious cycle of increased workload for remaining staff, and patients becoming angry with the long waits, making those remaining in the profession even more burnt out, leading to sickness and further loss of experienced, dedicated staff. The rates of pay are significantly less than offered by other English speaking countries, and therefore we lose the staff, that we paid to train, to work abroad. The recent announcement to increase training for doctors and nurses is a start, but consultants take 10 years to train, and experienced nurses take at least 6 years.
NHS services have been fragmented. Private companies now are paid by the taxpayer to deliver various services the NHS used to provide. The private healthcare profits made from our taxes, now go to the shareholders and executives, instead of being reinvested in the NHS, as happened when it was under public control. Furthermore, these services require doctors, nurses, and care staff, and can pay more attractive rates, which is contributing to the loss of staff to the NHS.
Finally, but importantly, we need to review our care services. Currently there are insufficient nursing homes, sheltered housing, community care and care services for children. As a result of this deficit, more people who need care, become unwell and put more strain in the NHS.
The Green party has a detailed policy for improving the nation’s health. They recognise that improving the nation’s health by preventative measures is the most cost effective strategy. Most importantly, they identify that reducing air pollution, preventing further climate change, and mitigating for the risks, will lead to improved health immediately, and in the long term. The Green Party wants to see health and care brought back under local control and public ownership. These policies see health improvement as an integral part of all measures, including addressing inequality and the cost of living crisis, providing housing that is fit for habitation & not damp, supporting people to be more active, including making walking, cycling & public transport appealing & enjoyable. By making savings from improved health, we can invest even more in our health & care staff, so that they are appropriately rewarded for their hard work, and ensure that our highly trained & experienced staff want to stay in this country.
We urgently need to address the health & care crisis in the UK, integrated with immediate action to tackle the Climate Emergency, if the UK is to prosper, and be able to support the most disadvantaged communities, and reverse the trend in preventable deaths & declining health of our nation.
Dr Diane Cook, Locum Consultant Psychiatrist
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