Sarah Neville in the FT on lunch with Amanda Pritchard: "The NHS contributes between 10 and 20 per cent to people’s health, she says — a figure I find startlingly low"
This widely quoted figure is startlingly low because it's probably wrong.🧵
https://www.ft.com/content/5cf4de5b-604f-4247-adc3-a473dc241cc9
This widely quoted figure is startlingly low because it's probably wrong.🧵
https://www.ft.com/content/5cf4de5b-604f-4247-adc3-a473dc241cc9
Comments
It was the bastion of national healthcare & the pride & privilege of Britons.
To underfund, & then demean our NHS is vile.
A 45min Nige tv slot = 1 jr Dr/3 nurses annual £ 🤬
https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/estimate-contribution-healthcare-to-health
https://www.health.org.uk/blogs/health-care-only-accounts-for-10-of-a-population%E2%80%99s-health
Variations in social determinants largely explain the differences in healthy life expectancy between areas in the UK. So if we want to level up health, that's where action is needed. That's how we should be putting this.
But ….. 👇🏻
Whether it’s pain relief, having a “good” death, providing emotional support in hard times etc, it’s important in its own right but isn’t part of these calculations…👇🏻
So not only is the relief of suffering missing in such calculations, it’s missing in NHS outcome measures, geared as they are to effectiveness & efficiency
Severe pain seems no longer perceived as an emergency, whereas it was when I qualified
That’s sad
Surprising nonetheless that Amanda Pritchard should use such a meaningless & misleading statistic which implies, despite the noise around her departure, she was probably in the wrong job
Let's not feed the anti-NHS people nor the NHS worshippers.
If not 20% it's not far off.
Health is much, much more than health services and (I'll borrow from others) it's obvious to any clinician.
it’s more about making cycling a no-brainier way for people to get to work in towns and cities- good cycle lanes, good, secure parking, showers in workplaces.
Cycling then just becomes part of everyday life.
Make cycling an easy choice and people will do it without being told. Look at the Dutch.
Individually, I agree, someone in the clinic isn't likely to benefit because then it's already too late.
But as a policy/population level it's different.
It makes a big difference I think.
A lot of health facts are couterintuitive and startling so not so much of a surprise.
Most people over emphasise the benefits and underestimate the harms of healthcare.