UK Healthcare Ranked Last Among Other Wealthy Nations

Patients in the UK are also ranked at the bottom when it comes to the time they spend with a GP, the study revealed, with many facing challenges in getting a timely response from their healthcare provider.

A decade ago, the UK excelled in providing timely specialist appointments within four weeks, but now it lags behind other countries, according to a think tank analysis of data from ten nations spanning from 2013 to 2023.

The Commonwealth Fund’s International Health Policy Survey, conducted over nearly two decades, surveyed individuals from various countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the UK about their healthcare experiences across different services.

The latest 2023 survey collected responses from 21,000 adults, including 3,361 from the UK.

Joint Worst for Year-Long Wait Time

The study revealed that the UK has some of the longest waiting times for specialist appointments, with the highest proportion of people waiting a year or more for an appointment, tied with Canada. Eleven percent of UK residents waited over 12 months to be seen.

In 2023, sixty-one percent of UK respondents had to wait at least four weeks for a specialist appointment, a significant increase from 14 percent in 2013. In contrast, countries like Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States saw between 36 to 44 percent of people waiting more than a month. The Netherlands was the top performer in this category, with 60 percent of patients being seen within a month.

A separate study mentioned in the report indicated that almost half of NHS patients felt a decline in their health while awaiting hospital admission.

The government and NHS England have set a goal of eliminating all waits exceeding a year by March 2025.

The UK was identified as the worst-performing nation in terms of getting a same-day response from a GP practice. However, it ranked among the better countries for being seen by a family doctor on the same or the next day after contact.

Fifty-three percent of UK respondents reported receiving a same-day response, significantly lower than the Netherlands where 81 percent did.

When it came to actually being seen by a GP on the same or the next day after contacting the surgery, the UK was fourth at 42 percent, trailing behind top-performing nations like the Netherlands (50 percent) and Germany (49 percent).

The authors noted, “The UK faces challenges in obtaining a same-day response for medical issues,” citing data that showed more patients struggle to reach their practice by phone compared to those who find it easy.

The UK also scored poorly in the time spent with a GP, with only 58 percent of individuals feeling that the doctor spent enough time with them. Apart from Sweden (60 percent), all other nations had around 80 percent satisfaction with the length of their appointments.

Sharp Increase in People Not Visiting Dentist

The report drew attention to concerns about access to and affordability of dental care, with 26 percent of people in the UK skipping dental check-ups or treatment due to cost in 2023—a significant rise from just 6 percent in 2013. This placed the UK in the middle of the pack, with New Zealand being the worst performing country, where 40 percent of people reported missing dental appointments due to financial constraints.

The report, titled “Under Pressure,” concluded that no single country consistently outperformed all others in all measured aspects, but noted that the UK ranks lower on several indicators, especially related to hospital waiting times and primary care services.

The report did not affirm that increased funding always translates to higher patient satisfaction, as it found that more funding does not always lead to better performance in all cases.

Ruth Thorlby, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, remarked, “These findings highlight the UK’s consistent lower standing in terms of people’s healthcare experiences compared to other high-income nations.

“This sheds more light on the significant efforts needed by the Government to restore the NHS to optimal functioning.”

She emphasized the importance of improving primary care and ensuring effective coordination between hospitals and GPs besides prioritizing reducing waiting lists.

“National and local health leaders should remain wary of rising costs hindering healthcare access,” she added, expressing concern over the high number of individuals skipping dental check-ups.

“While there are no quick fixes, the NHS can recuperate with the right blend of policy changes, innovation, and investments,” Thorlby concluded.

‘Broken’ NHS

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care stated, “We inherited a fractured NHS, and it is unacceptable that so many individuals are waiting longer than necessary for care.

“Our aim is to revitalize the health service and develop an NHS that is future-ready. We acknowledge that waiting lists are unacceptably long, and that’s one of the reasons why the Health and Social Care Secretary has commissioned a comprehensive independent investigation into the state of the NHS to reveal the extent of the problem.

“We aim to address the significant challenges facing the NHS by increasing the number of appointments by 40,000 per week and learning from successful practices across the country, spreading excellence within the NHS.”

PA Media contributed to this report.