Shropshire Star comment: NHS basics is all public really wants
When the NHS was launched back in 1948, its remit was remarkably simple: to provide everybody with a uniform standard of care, free at the point of delivery.
The nature of health care has changed hugely over the past 71 years. Treatments which didn’t even exist in 1948 are now available as a matter of routine, and demand has soared as people live longer.
Yet for all this, it seems people’s expectations of the NHS have not changed as much as we might think.
A survey of patients across Shropshire shows that people in the county are remarkably realistic when it comes to their expectations from the health service in 2019.
People told the county’s two Healthwatch groups that they wanted easier access to treatment and services, help with making lifestyle choices, and better information about the support available. They also asked for improved communication about illness prevention, and more training for staff regarding conditions such as mental health.
None of this is rocket science, and neither does it require huge amounts of cash. The fact that people are actually asking for more information about healthy lifestyles and illness prevention is hugely encouraging. If the health care providers can deliver this, it will be a win-win for all concerned: patients will live healthier lives, and the NHS will spend less money on treating them.
The survey also found that older people would like greater support to live in their own homes. Again, this is basic common sense, and it is surely more cost effective than needlessly keeping them in hospital.
More difficult will be delivering patients’ requests for easier access to GP appointments. Some progress has been made with regard to surgery opening hours, but that doesn’t solve the nationwide shortage of trained GPs. It is no use a surgery staying open into the evening if there are not enough doctors to cope with the patients.
The Government has pledged to spend an extra £20 billion on the NHS, and it is likely that every penny of this will be needed to keep pace with growing demand.
That said, it can’t be beyond the wit of man to provide more information about staying healthy, more support for the elderly living at home, and GP appointments at times convenient for patients.
People just want the NHS to get back to basics.
