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
- Access to sanitation: The percentage of the total population with access to sanitation facilities
- Adolescent fertility rate > Births per 1,000 women ages 15-19: Adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.
- 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 > Low birth weight: Percentage of live births classified by the OECD as of low birth weight. Data generally for 2000; in some cases, data is for 1999, 1998, or, in the sole case of Belgium, 1997. Refer to the source for details.
- Births and maternity > Abortion > Legal abortions total: Legally induced abortions by urban/rural residence of woman.
- Births and maternity > Average age of mother at childbirth: Average age of mother at first childbirth.
- Births and maternity > Crude birth rate: Country's crude birth rate. The crude birth rate is the number of live births for every 1,000 people.
- 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 > Infant mortality rate: How many infants, out of 1000, who will die before attaining one year of age.
- Births and maternity > Maternal death rate: Number of mothers who died giving birth, out of 100,000 births.
- Births and maternity > Maternity leave > Weeks of leave given: Maternity leave benefits.
- Births and maternity > Number of births: Total number of live births. A live birth refers to a birth after which the baby shows signs of life, however, if the baby dies after showing signs of life, it is still considered a live birth.
- Births and maternity > Teenage birth rate: Percentage of females aged 15-19 who give birth, out of all females the same age in the country.
- Births and maternity > Total fertility rate: Total fertility rate.
- Births by caesarean section: Number of births by caesarean section per 1000 live births (year 2000).
- Blood types > A Positive: Percentage of each country's population with A positive blood type.
- Blood types > AB negative: Percentage of each country's population with AB negative blood type.
- Blood types > AB positive: Percentage of each country's population with AB positive blood type.
- Blood types > B negative: Percentage of each country's population with B negative blood type.
- Blood types > B positive: Percentage of each country's population with B positive blood type.
- Blood types > O negative: Percentage of population in each county with O negative blood type.
- Blood types > O positive: Percentage of each country's population with 0 positive blood type.
- Daily smokers: Data on tobacco consumption - this is a percentage of the total population who smoke at least one cigarette a day.(Data for Portugal and Austria is from 2002. All other data is from 2003).
- Death from cancer: Cancer death incidence (per 100 000 population) for year 2000.
- Death rates > Children under 5: Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates."
- Death rates > Infants: Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year."
- Death rates > Men: Adult mortality rate is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching age 60, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates between those ages."
- Death rates > Women: Adult mortality rate is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching age 60, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates between those ages."
- Deaths > Deaths of infants: An infant death is the death from any cause of a live-born child under one year of age.
- Deaths > Percent deaths registered: Civil registration coverage of deaths (%).
- Diseases > Cancer > Cancer death rate (per 100,000 population): The number of people that will die from cancer out of 100,000 people the same age. The number is not an accurate telling of the country's cancer rate, but rather how fatal cancer is in each country.
- Diseases > HIV AIDS > AIDS deaths: AIDS deaths.
- Diseases > Incidence of tuberculosis > Per 100,000 people: Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 people). Incidence of tuberculosis is the estimated number of new pulmonary, smear positive, and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Incidence includes patients with HIV.
- Diseases > Overweight > Average Body Mass Index (BMI): Countries compared by average BMI (combining male and female population), according to data gathered by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The BMI (Body Mass Index) measures how appropiate is the weight of an individual compared to their height. The calculation is made measuring your weight in kilograms and dividing it twice by your height measured in metres. A high BMI (25 or more) is usually associated with a risk of suffering diverse health problems.
- Expenditure per capita > Current US$: Total health expenditure is the sum of public and private health expenditures as a ratio of total population. It covers the provision of health services (preventive and curative), family planning activities, nutrition activities, and emergency aid designated for health but does not include provision of water and sanitation. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
- Fertility rate > Total > Births per woman: Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with current age-specific fertility rates.
- HIV AIDS > Adult prevalence rate: An estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
- HIV AIDS > Deaths: An estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year.
- HIV AIDS > Deaths > Per capita: An estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
- HIV AIDS > People living with HIV AIDS: An estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS.
- HIV AIDS > People living with HIV AIDS > Per capita: An estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS. Per capita figures expressed per 1,000 population.
- HIV AIDS > People living with HIV AIDS per 1000: An estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS. Figures expressed per thousand population for the same year.
- Health care system > Population covered by public health insurance: Percentage of population covered by governmental / social health insurance.
- Health care system > Total public and private health insurance coverage: Percentage of population covered either by private or by governmental / social health insurance.
- Health expenditure per capita > Current US$: Health expenditure per capita (current US$). Total health expenditure is the sum of public and private health expenditures as a ratio of total population. It covers the provision of health services (preventive and curative), family planning activities, nutrition activities, and emergency aid designated for health but does not include provision of water and sanitation. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
- Health services > 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."
- Health services > Physicians > Per 1,000 people: Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.
- Heart disease deaths: Heart disease deaths per 100000 population (1995-1998)
- 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.
- Infant mortality > Infant mortality: The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of children under one year of age expressed per 1 000 live births. Neonatal mortality refers to the death of children under 28 days.
- Infant mortality rate > Total: This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
- Life expectancy > Female: 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 > Male: 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 > Men: Life expectancy for men.
- Life expectancy > Women: Life expectancy for women.
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Life expectancy > Years of potential life lost from premature death > Females:
Female YPLL. Years lost to premature death.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
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Life expectancy > Years of potential life lost from premature death > Males:
Male YPLL.
No date was available from the Wikipedia article, so we used the date of retrieval.
- Life expectancy at birth > Female: The average number of years to be lived by a females in this nation 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 > 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.
- 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.
- Maternal mortality: Maternal mortality reported per 100,000 births 1985-1999. The maternal mortality data are those reported by national authorities. UNICEF and the World Health Organization periodically evaluate these data and make adjustments to account for the well-documented problems of under-reporting and misclassification of maternal deaths and to develop estimates for countries with no data (for details on the most recent estimates see Hill, AbouZahr and Wardlaw 2001). Data refer to the most recent year available during the period specified.
- Mental health > Mental health index: The first data set used here is from large-scale epidemiological surveys implemented as part of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative (WMHSI). These surveys were conducted between 2002 and 2005 in 10 OECD countries. They use a common diagnostic instrument to measure the occurrence of various types of disorders, their nature and intensity, and the treatment provided. Disorders considered include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, disorders linked to impulse control and disorders due to use of alcohol and drugs. All disorders are classified as serious, moderate, or mild. The second set of data is from the European Quality of Life Survey conducted in 2007 by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. These data are based on the following question: Please indicate for each for the five statements which is closest to how you have been feeling over the last two weeks - I have felt cheerful and in good spirits; I have felt calm and relaxed; I have felt active and vigorous; I woke up feeling fresh and rested; my day has been filled with things that interest me (all of the time, most of the time, more than half of the time, less than half of the time, some of the time, never). The total score on all statements is multiplied by 4 to get a score that has a maximum value of 100.
- Nurses and midwives > Per 1,000 people: Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people). Nurses and midwives include professional nurses, professional midwives, auxiliary nurses, auxiliary midwives, enrolled nurses, enrolled midwives and other associated personnel, such as dental nurses and primary care nurses.
- Nutrition > Depth of hunger > Kilocalories per person per day: Depth of hunger or the intensity of food deprivation, indicates how much food-deprived people fall short of minimum food needs in terms of dietary energy. The food deficit, in kilocalories per person per day, is measured by comparing the average amount of dietary energy that undernourished people get from the foods they eat with the minimum amount of dietary energy they need to maintain body weight and undertake light activity. The depth of hunger is low when it is less than 200 kilocalories per person per day, and high when it is higher than 300 kilocalories per person per day."
- 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.
- Probability of reaching 65 > Female: Probability at birth of reaching the age of 65.
- Probability of reaching 65 > Male: Probability at birth of reaching the age of 65.
- Quality of health care system > Accuracy and completeness in filling out reports: Accuracy and completeness in filling out reports. 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 "How satisfied you with the accuracy and completeness in filling out reports?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Quality of health care system > Convenient location: Convenience of location for 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 "Convenience of location for you". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- 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 > Friendliness and courtesy of staff: Friendliness and courtesy of the staff. 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 "Friendliness and courtesy of the staff?". 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.
- Quality of health care system > Modern equipment: Equipment for modern diagnosis and treatment. 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 "Does hospitals have equipment for modern diagnosis and treatment?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Quality of health care system > Short waiting times: Responsiveness (waitings) in medical institutions. 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 "How satisfied are you with the responsiveness (waitings) in medical institutions?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Quality of health care system > Skill and competence of medical staff: Skill and competency of medical staff. 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 "How satisfied are you with the skill and competency of the local medical staff?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Quality of health care system > Speed in delivering examinations and reports: Speed in completing examination and reports. 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 "Speed in completing examination and reports?". The higher the value, the more survey respondents believe it is high in their country.
- Reproductive health > Use of birth control > Women over 15: Contraceptive prevalence rate is the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of contraception. It is usually measured for married women ages 15-49 only."
- Services, etc., value added > Current LCU: Services, etc., value added (current LCU). Services correspond to ISIC divisions 50-99. They include value added in wholesale and retail trade (including hotels and restaurants), transport, and government, financial, professional, and personal services such as education, health care, and real estate services. Also included are imputed bank service charges, import duties, and any statistical discrepancies noted by national compilers as well as discrepancies arising from rescaling. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The industrial origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3. Data are in current local currency.
- Services, etc., value added > Current LCU per capita: Services, etc., value added (current LCU). Services correspond to ISIC divisions 50-99. They include value added in wholesale and retail trade (including hotels and restaurants), transport, and government, financial, professional, and personal services such as education, health care, and real estate services. Also included are imputed bank service charges, import duties, and any statistical discrepancies noted by national compilers as well as discrepancies arising from rescaling. Value added is the net output of a sector after adding up all outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or depletion and degradation of natural resources. The industrial origin of value added is determined by the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), revision 3. Data are in current local currency. Figures expressed per capita for the same year.
- Tobacco > Cigarrete imports: Millions of cigarettes imported in 2000.
SOURCES: CIA World Factbook, December 2003; World Development Indicators database; OECD; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; United Nations Population Division. Source tables; OECD Health Data 2003 and OECD Health Data 2002; Wikipedia: Blood type distribution by country (ABO and Rh blood type distribution by country (population averages)); OECD Health Data 2005; OECD Health Data 2004; Level & Trends in Child Mortality. Report 2010. Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA, UNPD).; (1) United Nations Population Division. 2009. World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision. New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (advanced Excel tables). Available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp2008/index.htm, (2) University of California, Berkeley, and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. Human Mortality Database. [ www.mortality.org or www.humanmortality.de] downloaded on Dec. 10, 2009.; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Health Organization. Source tables; World Health Organization. Source tables; United Nations Statistics Division. Source tables; World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Report.; "Where are you on the global fat scale?". BBC. July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-16. http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-12-439.pdf. Walpole et al., BMC Public Health 2012, 12:4; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011. Population figures from World Bank: (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.; Wikipedia: List of countries by health insurance coverage; http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/data/oecd-health-statistics/oecd-health-data-social-protection_data-00544-en; World Health Organization National Health Account database (see http://apps.who.int/nha/database/DataExplorerRegime.aspx for the most recent updates).; World Health Organisation, OECD, supplemented by country data.; World Health Organization; OECD Country statistical profiles 2009; (1) United Nations Population Division. 2009. World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision. New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (advanced Excel tables), (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; British Broadcasting Corporation 2014; Wikipedia: Years of potential life lost (By country); (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.; UNICEF (United Nations Children?s Fund). 2002. Official Summary: The State of the World's Children 2002. New York: Oxford University Press.; World Health Organization, Global Atlas of the Health Workforce. For latest updates and metadata, see http://apps.who.int/globalatlas/.; Food and Agriculture Organisation, Food Security Statistics (http://www.fao.org/economic/ess/food-security-statistics/en/).; 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; UN (United Nations). 2001. World Population Prospects 1950-2050: The 2000 Revision. Database. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. New York.; 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; Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys by Macro International and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys by UNICEF.; World Bank national accounts data; World Bank national accounts data. Population figures from World Bank: (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.; USDA/FAS
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
