United Kingdom Health Stats
Author: Luke.Metcalfe
United Kingdom is joining the healthcare systems of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all under one umbrella through the National Health Services (NHS). The obligatory national insurance enables everyone to receive a free service at the point of care, with private insurance available if deluxe services are wanted. What is surprising about this system is its surprising efficiency and short waiting times, given the relatively low funding (only 9.32% of GDP in 2011, compared to 17.85% in United States and 11.63% in France) and one of the lowest numbers of physicians per 1.000 people in European Union (only 2.2). However, United Kingdom is grappling with a number of health concerns at the population level: first, the proportion of obese people is rising and showing no signs of stopping at 23% in 2003, bested only by United States and Mexico in the world. Second, the traditionally unhealthy diet (represented by the meal of Fish’N’Chips) was made even worse with increasingly sedentary lifestyle of the past few decades, culminating in high mortality from cardiovascular disease (32% of total deaths in 2012, compared to 25% of total deaths in France). The second cause for concern is decreasing immunization rates, for example the national immunization rate for measles in 2009 was 86%, and in some areas as low as 70% (immunization rate necessary to prevent outbreaks is 95%). This is the consequence of a health scare, when mumps/measles/rubella vaccine was falsely accused of causing autism and many parents withdrew from the compulsory vaccination program.
Definitions
- Birth rate > Crude > Per 1,000 people: Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the population growth rate in the absence of migration.
- Births and maternity > Average age of mother at childbirth: Average age of mother at first childbirth.
- Births and maternity > Future births: Mid-range estimate for country's population increase due to births from five years prior to the given year. For example, from 2095 to 2100, India's population is expected to rise by 16,181 people due to births. Estimates are from the UN Population Division.
- Births and maternity > Total fertility rate: Total fertility rate.
- Hospital beds > Per 1,000 people: Hospital beds include inpatient beds available in public, private, general, and specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In most cases beds for both acute and chronic care are included.
- Life expectancy > Men: Life expectancy for men.
- Life expectancy at birth > Total population: The average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
- Life expectancy at birth, female > Years: Life expectancy at birth, female (years). Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
- Life expectancy at birth, male > Years: Life expectancy at birth, male (years). Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
- Life expectancy at birth, total > Years: Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.
- Obesity: Percentage of total population who have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 Kg/sq.meters (Data for Australia, Austria and Portugal is from 2002. All other data is from 2003). Obesity rates are defined as the percentage of the population with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. The BMI is a single number that evaluates an individual's weight status in relation to height (weight/height2, with weight in kilograms and height in metres). For Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, figures are based on health examinations, rather than self-reported information. Obesity estimates derived from health examinations are generally higher and more reliable than those coming from self-reports, because they preclude any misreporting of people's height and weight. However, health examinations are only conducted regularly in a few countries (OECD).
- Physicians > Per 1,000 people: Physicians are defined as graduates of any facility or school of medicine who are working in the country in any medical field (practice, teaching, research).
- Probability of not reaching 60: Probability at birth of not reaching the age of 40.
- Quality of health care system > Cost: Cost to you. Based on 0-50 contributions for Albania, Argentina, Austria and 69 more countries and 50-100 contributions for Australia, Brazil, Germany and 7 more countries and over 100 contributions for Canada, India, United Kingdom and 1 more country. The surveys were conducted by numbeo.com from October, 2010 to February, 2014. See this sample survey for the United States, respondents were asked "Cost to you". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Quality of health care system > Health care system index: Health Care Index is an estimation of the overall quality of the health care system, health care professionals, equipment, staff, doctors, cost, etc.
SOURCES: World Development Indicators database; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; Derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; OECD Health Data 2005; calculated on the basis of survival data from UN (United Nations). 2001. World Population Prospects 1950-2050: The 2000 Revision. Database. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. New York; health care
Citation
United Kingdom Health Profiles (Subcategories)
6
United Kingdom is joining the healthcare systems of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all under one umbrella through the National Health Services (NHS). The obligatory national insurance enables everyone to receive a free service at the point of care, with private insurance available if deluxe services are wanted. What is surprising about this system is its surprising efficiency and short waiting times, given the relatively low funding (only 9.32% of GDP in 2011, compared to 17.85% in United States and 11.63% in France) and one of the lowest numbers of physicians per 1.000 people in European Union (only 2.2). However, United Kingdom is grappling with a number of health concerns at the population level: first, the proportion of obese people is rising and showing no signs of stopping at 23% in 2003, bested only by United States and Mexico in the world. Second, the traditionally unhealthy diet (represented by the meal of Fish’N’Chips) was made even worse with increasingly sedentary lifestyle of the past few decades, culminating in high mortality from cardiovascular disease (32% of total deaths in 2012, compared to 25% of total deaths in France). The second cause for concern is decreasing immunization rates, for example the national immunization rate for measles in 2009 was 86%, and in some areas as low as 70% (immunization rate necessary to prevent outbreaks is 95%). This is the consequence of a health scare, when mumps/measles/rubella vaccine was falsely accused of causing autism and many parents withdrew from the compulsory vaccination program.
Posted on 14 Apr 2014
Luke.Metcalfe
137 Stat enthusiast
3
Like the general management of each of the four countries which make up the UK, the healthcare system is a devolved matter. This means that each of the countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has their own system of private and public healthcare. Public health care, through the National Health Service, NHS, is offered free of cost to all permanent residents of the UK. This is paid for through taxation.
The UK is ranked as the second among first world countries, in terms of best in the provision of healthcare for its permanent residents but is ranked eighteenth in the world. Between 8 and 9 percent of the UK’s GDP is spent on healthcare annually.
Each jurisdiction in the UK also has a private healthcare sector. However, in each case, this is much smaller than its public equivalent, with provision of private healthcare acquired by means of private health insurance, funded as part of an employer funded healthcare scheme or paid directly by the customer.
The average life expectancy for men in the UK is 78 years and 82 years for women.
General practitioners of GPs give primary healthcare to permanent residents and make referrals s to further services as necessary. Hospitals mainly give specialist services, including care for patients with psychiatric illnesses, as well as direct access to Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments.
The public healthcare system facilitates free ambulance services for emergencies, when patients definitely need that specialist transport or when patients are unable to travel home by themselves.
Posted on 28 Mar 2014
chris.lockyer781
396 Stat enthusiast
