Reform of the NHS is underway despite widespread controversy and opposition from physicians, and will necessitate a change in the way pharmaceutical companies work with key stakeholders to ensure their products are used in the UK.
The reform will allegedly make the NHS more responsive to local healthcare needs. It comes at a time when the NHS is also required by generate £20bn ($31.7bn) in efficiency savings by 2015: a tall order given the increasing healthcare needs of the population.
Table of Contents
4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4 Healthcare expenditure
4 Healthcare system overview
5 HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURE
6 References
8 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
8 NHS is the main healthcare provider in the UK
10 Private healthcare provision is supplementary to the NHS
11 GPs act as gatekeepers to hospital and specialist care
12 Major reforms to the NHS are underway
18 References
LIST OF FIGURES
5 Figure 1: UK – healthcare expenditure as proportion of GDP compared to Australia, Japan, the
BRIC nations, and the five major EU markets, 2010
8 Figure 2: UK – flow of money and accountability within the National Health Service
10 Figure 3: UK – structure of the private healthcare system
LIST OF TABLES
6 Table 1: UK health expenditure indicators, 2008–10
Figure 1: UK – healthcare expenditure as proportion of GDP compared to Australia, Japan, the BRIC nations, and the five major EU markets, 2010