Britain's National Health Service is supposed to be the envy of the world, but its record in treating patients with cancer and diseases of the circulatory system (the two main causes of death) is extremely poor. Survival rates for sufferers are almost the worst in the developed world. A study of death rates from diseases of the circulatory system put the UK thirteenth out of 15 European countries studied. The record on cancer care is even worse. A 17-nation study found that the one-year survival rate for lung cancer (the biggest killer) in England was the worst among the 17. The five-year survival rate was little better, ranking twelfth out of 17. For breast cancer England's one-year survival was ranked tenth and Scotland's twelfth out of 17. The five-year survival rate in England was eleventh and in Scotland twelfth out of 17. Official denials that health care is rationed by the NHS become increasingly implausible in the face of such figures. Delay, denial and dilution of treatment cannot be explained by 'clinical considerations'.The primary cause of these failures is low expenditure, but to raise expenditure to the levels of other developed countries, on the present NHS model, would require unacceptable increases in taxation.  In order to improve health care in the UK it may be necessary to look at alternatives to the present system. "The National Health Service delivers a standard of healthcare among the worst in the developed world, the Institute of Economic Affairs claimed yesterday. The Institute cites death rates from heart disease to show that the UK is 13th out of 15 countries for those aged under 65." Financial Times. "The NHS is not an engine of equity at all, but of an often fatal randomness. The idea that it is the envy of the world is a sick joke. As a recent book by the Institute of Economic Affairs makes clear, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from a life?threatening disease your chance of survival is far less if you live in Britain than in almost any other country in Europe." Sunday Times. "This is a shocking and sobering read, and one I would recommend to every practitioner. The NHS has had its successes. But measured by the parameters of the modern, wealthy economy, it is woefully inadequate...The problems identified by this book are hugely depressing and insoluble in the short term. We have too few doctors...We would need to double the number of oncologists to equal the European average and spend an extra #30bn a year to match the Germans.  " Doctor. "Delay, Denial and Dilution concludes that the NHS delivers health care services that are just about the worst in the developed world." Walter Williams, Washington Times.

Delay, Denial and Dilution (Choice in Welfare) PDF

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