Running head: LONDON: A NATIONAL HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE 1

London: A NATIONAL HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE 19

London: A National Healthcare Perspective

Kaye Leonard

Pfeiffer University

MHA 776

Dr. James Leist

Dr. Gwendolan Swain

Abstract

This paper provides an overall impression of the United Kingdom's health service, inception of the National Health Service, challenges the NHS faces regarding financial sustainability, providing effective and efficient care, and the move towards more privatization . Comparisons are made between the National Health Service and heathcare in the United States across multiple sectors that include acute care settings, skilled nursing facilities, primary care providers and regualtions governing nursing practice and the challenges faced by both systems.

Introduction

Since its inception in 1948, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) formed an ideology that gave birth to the NHS's service delivery and is simplistic in nature; good healthcare should be available to all regardless of wealth. This principal remains at the very core of the NHS today.

English: An external shot of St George's Healthcar...

The logo of NHS Wales

English: , Foresterhill, Aberdeen

For the purpose of this paper I will discuss the background of the NHS, overall impression of the NHS, guest speakers perception of the NHS and strengths, weakness and issues of the NHS.

Background

The NHS employs more than 1.2 million people, Of those, just under half are clinically qualified, including 39,780 general practitioners, 370,327 nurses, 18,687 ambulance staff and 105,711 hospital and community health service, medical and dental staff. Only the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Wal-Mart super chain and the Indian Railways directly employ more people. The NHS in England by far is the biggest part of the system, servicing 53 million and employing over 1.35 million people. Funding for the NHS comes from taxation; average personal income tax in the United Kingdom is 45 percent. Currently the NHS's projected budget for 2013 is around £108.9 billion (www. NHS.com).