WHO Framework and Healthcare System of U.K - Essay Example

? WHO Framework and Healthcare System of U.K Introduction The governments world over are making concerted efforts to improve health outcomes. Privatesectors, non-government organizations are deployed to harness the available resources to provide effective and efficient healthcare services. The basic objective of WHO framework (2007) is to strengthen healthcare systems throughout the world so that general health standards of the people can get improved. The paper will study the healthcare system of U.K. keeping in view the basic guidelines as provided in WHO framework and assess its strengths and weaknesses. The paper will also look into the healthcare system of Canada so as to have some comparative viewpoint regarding healthcare services as operating in these two countries. WHO Framework (2007) and Building Blocks There are six building blocks of any health system as prescribed by World Health organisation for an excellent healthcare system in any country. (World Health… 2007) 1. Good Health Services That means safe, effective, and quality health services to all those who need them while making optimum use of resources. 2. An Efficient Health Workforce It is an important building block that should perform well to achieve the best health outcomes. They are competent, responsive, and productive to carry out the health functions. There should be sufficient healthcare professionals spread across all the geography. 3. Health Information System Health Information System should be reliable, efficient to carry out all health related tasks and to determine health status and its performance. An efficient information system is one that delivers timely information to make an impact on the health delivery system. 4. Vaccines, Medical products and Technologies Drugs and medical products should be accessible and available to all at all the time. Healthcare facilities should employ proven technologies as per the common acceptable standards of the healthcare programme to deliver the best health outcomes. 5. Health Financing System Health Financing System should be such that it is affordable for all regardless of their status, income, and class. People are protected fully from any financial burden while availing any health related treatments. 6. Government and Leadership Governance and Leadership works towards strategic policy frameworks with proper regulation and effective oversight coupled with proper accountability. Judging UK Healthcare Services from above Criteria U.K.’s National Health System follows (NHS) the Beveridge Model of healthcare to provide healthcare services to its citizens. The NHS is a government-run institution that takes care of all its citizens and provides them doctors, clinics and hospitals. Since citizens do not pay any bills, it does not put any undue financial burden on the citizens including the treatment taken for any critical illness. In this system, the patients are always at ease for they get healthcare services through government funding and they need not spend anything from their own pockets. The advantage of the model is that each and every citizen gets medical treatment free of charge regardless of their economic status and kind of illness. Patients need not pay hefty insurance premiums for the various health issue coverage as found in the countries like U.S.; however, the UK government does charge 17 percent sales tax to cover up healthcare expenses for its countrymen. The disadvantage with the Beveridge model is that it does not provide any motivation to the physician for they cannot charge (Hamilton 2009). U.K being a developed country is good on availability of vaccines, medical products and in health related technologies. Vaccines are usually available as and when need arises in all parts of the country. Certain shortages of branded drugs in U.K has been attributed to European Union trade laws, under which medicines from UK cannot be prevented from export to other countries of Europe. The Department of Health in its last meeting with manufacturers and suppliers has taken necessary steps to ensure that patients get their medicines uninterruptedly. Authorities have taken necessary steps to find possible solutions to mitigate the effects of drug shortages in consultation with the Supply Chain Group. (PSNC 2010) Health Information system in UK is quite efficient and found to be meeting with the current needs of any good healthcare system. In 2002, the United Kingdom decided to spend $4.3 billion on healthcare information technology aspects but 3 years later revised the budget to the tune of $10.8 billion to be spent over 10 year period. The UK programme of integrating healthcare with the information system is considered to be the most comprehensive and expensive internationally. The programme aims at having electronic appointment and prescription facility for the patients, integrated care record service, and also a countrywide network for all providers. This puts U.K. in the league of the most advanced healthcare information system of the world. (Anderson et al, 2006) When judging from the view point of WHO framework, the U.K healthcare system is found to be lacking severely in sufficient healthcare workforce availability. There is a noticeable shortage of physicians, nurses, and surgeons. It has been found that patients often have to wait for a long period of time, particularly when they need surgical intervention giving them a lot of inconvenience. For this reason, patients are often found visiting other countries for the treatment. It may look surprising to notice that many patients from U.K. visit Malaysia, Singapore, and India for the quick surgical interventions such as orthopedic and heart related ailments (Hamilton 2009). The shortage of doctors in UK can be gauged from the report published by Visa Bureau last year which speaks about the gravity of the situation that NHS has been forced to recruit junior doctors from India (U.K. Visa Bureau, 2010). Surely, the government is aware about this critical lacunae and trying their level best to feel the gap. Canada Healthcare Services Canada healthcare services will be a good example to have some contrasting insights on the prevailing trend of healthcare services in that country and how it fits into the WHO framework of healthcare model. Canada follows NHI model of healthcare system. In this model of healthcare private hospitals and doctors provide the treatment and the payment comes from a government run insurance schemes that every citizen pays into. Since all expenses to the treatment are paid by insurance firm, patient need not bear brunt of any expenses in healthcare system. The patient is free to choose their hospital, clinic and doctor. The healthcare system is never a burden on any citizen because they avail the full treatment regardless of their capacity to pay. The cost of drugs is low because state insurer is a bulk buyer and command huge bargaining power on behalf of all citizens. Just like U.K., Canada also faces shortage of doctors and physician. Northern Canada is facing heavy shortage of physicians compared to southern Canada. In a North Canada region, for every two -to -three thousand populations there is only a single physician available compared to South Canada where one physician serves four -to -five hundred populations. Thus, Canada is lacking this important resource in comparison to other developed countries in terms of population-physician ratio. This is a most serious lacuna that the government of Canada and the authorities need to look into most objectively without which the health of the large population of Canada could be in jeopardy (Muchmorcanada 2011). Canada’s health information system is well geared and reasonably efficient to carry out all health related tasks. Currently, there are 120 Canadian Information and communication technology (ICT) companies that serve and actively involved with health sector of Canada. As per ITAC (2011), Canada's healthcare spending is at 10.7 percent of the gross domestic product. In Canadian dollar terms, it has reached to $5,170 per person and it is still rising. A typical Canadian healthcare firm's budget provides less than 2 percent of their available fund on ICT; this is considerably less than a benchmark figure of 4 percent that is found with many developed countries of the world. (ITAC Health 2011) The shortages of antibiotics, cancer drugs, heart drugs have been quite common throughout the Canada. Drugs such as Caelyx, Torisel, Tomudex are facing shortages in Canada. Patients are forced to take substitutes of these drugs that may lead to side effects or may be less effective. Many of the drugs in shortage list are cancer drugs and are not replaceable to provide effective treatment. The steady short supply of essential drugs has become an issue for last two years. Physicians find it utterly difficult to run health treatments in the absence of such drugs. (Health Canada 2011) Conclusion Canada healthcare system is found to be lacking on several counts when seen from the perspective of WHO framework and it needs to improve on the availability of drugs and healthcare professionals. The regulatory authority and the government need to work in close liaison with manufacturers and healthcare professionals to eliminate the weaknesses in healthcare delivery system. Overall, U.K. healthcare services are certainly in a better footing when compared with Canadian healthcare delivery system; however, a lot needs to be done in both the countries so as to come closer to the WHO perspective of providing effective, efficient and affordable healthcare services to one and all. References 1. World Health Organisation (2007), Everybody business: strengthening health systems to improve health outcomes: WHO’s framework for action, WHO Document Production Services, Geneva, Switzerland, also available online http://www.who.int/healthsystems/strategy/everybodys_business.pdf [Accessed 21 November 2011] 2. Hamilton, D. (2009), The Beveridge Model of Health Care, Available at http://www.fsutorch.com/2009/10/14/arts-entertainment/the-beveridge-model-of-health-care/ [Accessed 23 November 2011] 3. Anderson, G.; Fronger, B.; Johns, R.; Reinhardt, U.(2006), Health Care Spending and Use of Information Technology in OECD Countries, available at http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/In-the-Literature/2006/May/Health-Care-Spending-and-Use-of-Information-Technology-in-OECD-Countries.aspx [Accessed 23 November 2011] 4. PSNC (2010), Branded Medicine Shortages, available at http://www.psnc.org.uk/pages/manufacturer_quota_schemes_.html [Accessed 23 November 2011] 5. UK Visa Bureau (2010), Doctor shortage sees UK immigration recruitment drive in India, available at, http://www.visabureau.com/uk/news/02-06-2010/doctor-shortage-sees-uk-immigration-recruitment-drive-in-india.aspx [Accessed 23 November 2011] 6. The Globe and Mail (2011), Health Canada warns of worsening drug shortages, available at, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/health-canada-warns-of-worsening-drug-shortages/article2133739/ [Accessed 23 November 2011] 7. Muchmorcanada (2011), Canada’s doctor shortage worse north than south, available at http://www.muchmormagazine.com/2011/01/canada%E2%80%99s-doctor-shortage-is-far-worse-in-the-north-than-in-the-south/ [Accessed 23 November 2011] 8. ITAC Health (2011), The voice of Canada's ICT industry to the healthcare sector, available at, http://itac.ca/health [Accessed 23 November 2011] Read More