Is the NHS getting better? 23 Sept 2003 at the
Royal Society of Medicine
A meeting of the Forum on Quality in Health Care of the Royal Society of
Medicine
IS THE NHS GETTING BETTER? Has the increased investment in the NHS since
2000 resulted in better quality care for patients?
Tuesday 23 September 2003 at the RSM in London. £55 RSM fellows, £100
non-fellows.
More details at: http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/fmtqh.htm including how to
register, or tel: +44 (0) 20 7290 3942, fax: +44 (0) 20 7290 2989 email:
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Since 2000, the government has invested very substantial amounts of new
money in the NHS. For the first time in the history of the NHS, politicians
have accepted that British healthcare has been grossly underfunded, and have
committed themselves to bringing NHS spending (as a share of GDP) up to the
European average. As a result, the NHS budget has risen rapidly to £72
billion this year, and will rise over coming years to over £100 billion.
The NHS is seeing real increases in spending, over inflation, of 6-8% each
year. But with the new investment comes increasing expectations - from
politicians and the public - that the NHS will get better at satisfying the
demand for healthcare, meeting patients' needs, and providing services more
responsively and rapidly than it did in the past.
So is all this new money making a difference to the NHS which patients would
notice? Conflicting opinions are expressed that on the one hand this
increase is making major improvements in services, and on the other that
activity levels are not changing and that the new investment is being taken
up by pay awards to staff and increases in pharmaceutical costs. Public
opinion seems undecided - polls suggest that people do see some improvements
in the NHS and other public services, but that they still experience long
waits to be treated or seen, and are concerned about the state of the NHS.
This government has pinned its electoral future on improvements in the NHS
and other public services, and the state of the NHS is sure to be a key
issue at the next election.
This meeting will objectively compare the available data from 2000 to 2003
to determine what improvements have taken place and how these compare with
improvements in healthcare in other countries. The areas that will be
explored are public health, hospital services, elective surgery and waiting
lists, the emergency services, general practice, clinical staffing, and
consumer opinions. The meeting has been designed to encourage a full and
highly participative debate about the issues, with plenty of opportunity for
discussion.
9.30 am Registration
10.00 am Introduction and welcome
Sir Keith Peters, Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge
10.10 am Measuring changes in health and healthcare in the UK
Mr John Appleby, King's Fund, London
10.50 am Comparing health outcomes in the UK and Europe
Anna Dixon, Quality Analyst, Strategy Unit, Department of Health
11.30 am Coffee/ Tea
11.55 am General practice - changes in elective and emergency services
Dr Mayur Lakhani, Quality Unit, Royal College of General
Practitioners
12.35 pm Emergency hospital services - key indicators of change
Dr Derek Bell, Emergency Services Collaborative, Modernisation Agency
1.15 pm Lunch
2.25 pm Clinical staffing in the NHS: increasing capacity, changing roles?
Dr Fiona Moss, Associate Dean, London Deanery
3.05 pm The consumers' view: is the NHS getting better?
Mrs Frances Blunden, Principal Policy Advisor, Consumers' Association
3.45 pm Plenary discussion: what's the verdict on the NHS?
4.00 pm Close of meeting and coffee
5 CME/CPD Points
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