-Majority of UK
doctors rate quality of care as continually improving-
The NHS has been ranked as having one of the best primary health
care systems in the world in a survey by the leading US think tank
the Commonwealth Fund, published today.
In a survey of more than 10,000 primary care physicians in 11
developed countries, the NHS was rated top in a number of key
areas including being the only country where the majority of
doctors feel the quality of healthcare is improving.
The annual survey of international healthcare comparisons this
year polled primary care doctors for their views on their health
systems. The UK was rated top in several categories including:
Improvements in quality over the past three years;
Least likely to report long waiting times for patients referred
for specialist care;
Managing chronic conditions with specialist teams;
Using financial incentives to reward doctors for good patient experience;
The use of patient satisfaction and experience data to improve
services; and
The use of comparative data to review doctors’ clinical
performance.
Speaking from Washington at the Commonwealth Fund’s 2009
international health symposium, Health Secretary Andy Burnham said:
“This is an important moment for the NHS. The journey to overhaul
the quality of care over the last ten years has paid off.
Clinicians now say they are confident they are treating and caring
for patients in ways that match the best healthcare systems in the
world. The NHS is not perfect but it has moved from poor to good
and I want to see it go from good to great on the next stage of
the journey.
“Primary care services are at the heart of the NHS, preventing
illness, managing disease and helping people live healthier lives.
Most recently our GPs have been doing a fantastic job at the
forefront of our response to the swine flu outbreak starting the
vaccination programme.
“Over the past few years, together with the profession, we have
vastly improved access with over 75 per cent of GP practices now
open longer hours and almost 100 new GP health centres across the
country, open from 8am-8pm seven days a week - giving patients
greater choice and flexibility.
“We will build on these great achievements, and focus on the
challenge for the next decade – greater choice, more personalised
and high quality care, taking the NHS from good to great.
“I would like today to pay tribute to the hard working NHS staff
across the country and congratulate them for this magnificent
achievement. This is a proud day for NHS staff and for the
millions of patients they look after so well.”
During a three day visit to Washington the Health Secretary will
also be discussing key global health challenges such as the swine
flu pandemic, the health effects of climate change and the shared
challenge of obesity with his US counterpart and other opposite
numbers.
Notes to Editors
The Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey 2009 is
published at 05:01 on 5 November 2009. The survey can be found at:
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/_
2. The 11 countries surveyed are: Australia, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the
United Kingdom and the United States.
Key findings from the report include:
Quality Reporting and Feedback
Asked about comparative information systems, doctors in the UK
are most likely to routinely receive and review data on clinical
outcomes (89%).
UK physicians (65%) were by far the most likely to report they
receive data on how they compare to other practices and, along
with Sweden and New Zealand doctors, the most likely to have
information on patient experiences.
51% of UK physicians believe quality of care has improved in the
health care system over the past three years. This is the highest
of the 11 countries and in every other country the majority
believes quality of care has stayed the same or got worse.
Access and Barriers to Care
Only 6% of UK physicians report major problems with the time they
or their staff spend getting patients needed medication or
treatment due to insurance restrictions.
22% of UK doctors report that their patients often face long
waits to see a specialist - the lowest rates in the survey.
After-Hours Care Outside the Emergency Room A
large majority of doctors in the UK, (89%) report after-hour
provision for patients.
Health Information Technology
A very high proportion (96%) of UK primary care doctors report
using electronic medical records (EMRs).
Use of Care Teams and Systems to Care for Patients with
Chronic Illness
Teams that include health professionals such as nurses serve an
important role in managing care, especially for chronic
conditions. The survey results indicate that use of teams is
widespread in the UK (98%), joint highest with Sweden.
Tracking Medical Errors
The study finds that at 56% UK physicians were most likely to say
they have processes to identify "adverse events"
and take follow up action that they think work well.
Financial Incentives to improve Quality
A significant majority of doctors in the UK (89%) report some
type of extra financial incentive or target support to improve
primary care capacity.
4. Health Secretary Andy Burnham will be giving a speech at the
Urban Institute in Washington on Wednesday 4 November 2009. The
speech will look at the next stage of NHS Reform, the building of
a preventative and people-centred health service and learning from
each other on integrated care and early diagnosis.
5. For copies of the speech and interview requests please
contact the Department of Health press office on 020 7210 5221.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk