A subject that so often hits the headlines, our government’s management of the NHS, the absence of funding, the seemingly endless pile of problems with our beloved national health service are keeping so many of us from despair. Wherever you sit politically, most of us want to preserve our national treasures, which appear to be under constant threat.
But recent findings seem to suggest that attention to these resources is flowing to our own health. A study by British attorneys Your Legal Friend has shown that 80% of individuals will wait up to one month before pursuing their expected follow-up appointment with their healthcare provider.
Moreover, 9% said they would wait to be contacted; potentially falling victim to clerical or human error that causes healthcare providers to fail to call patients for follow-up.
Why would people wait so long? This may be related to the 86% of Britons admitting to their awareness of published pressures on the NHS, these pressures are things like budget cuts or lack of investment. More than a quarter of those surveyed also stated that they wouldn’t complain because they received a substandard level of care from their healthcare provider.
Could it be a generation gap? Of those surveyed, 46% of those aged between 16 and 24 stated they would be ‘impatient’ if staff stress resulted in a substandard level of take care of themselves from their members of the family, whereas over 55 years only 35 % who agreed .
With the NHS celebrating its 70th birthday this year, more attention is being paid to healthcare than ever before. The Brexit referendum saw former foreign minister Boris Johnson pledging £350 million a week to the National Health Service, if we exit the EU (a claim that has since proven to be very ambitious). As public anxiety about healthcare increases, will we see more people whose health declines as they try to save our NHS?
It’s hard to say, but it is important that people use the NHS properly. while refraining from going to A&E for non-emergency diseases, or using a pharmacy rather than a doctor can help the NHS save money, failing to follow up on appointments can in fact cost them more in the long run, as conditions worsen, left untreated, become harder treated.
