NHS Role in Reducing Health Inequalities 第一部分

Table of Contents

Introduction

Elimination of biased classification

Policy changes and enforcements

Eliminating individual social and economic disparities

Addressing social-political issues

Taxation systems

Redistributing healthcare services

Creating Intensive public Awareness

Assessing health programs

Relevant Partnerships

Reorganizing NHS

Conclusion

References

Introduction

NHS is the national health board of the United Kingdom, tasked to work with private, public and other sectors for the purposes of improving general health which includes helping reduce health inequalities. In the past, the health sector in the region has recorded significant improvement in factors such as quality health care while on the other hand, health inequalities have been observed to have been on a steady rise (House of Commons, 2008). Seeing that healthcare is among the basic human needs in the current society, this problem contributes to the deterioration of the general social welfare of the people in the region. While inequality is manageable, it is sad that it continues to contribute to loss of lives in the sector (Ham, 2014). This paper will therefore highlight some factors that NHS would consider addressing in bringing down the levels of health inequalities in the region.

Elimination of biased classification

It is a fundamental right for every individual to access health services disregarding gender, race, disability or age. In some instances, patients are denied access to medical care based on these characteristics. For instance, the presence of gender hospitals such as the Carstairs State Mental Hospital for male patients in Scotland and England’s Rampton Secure Hospital for female patients indicate that one only receives treatment in these facilities if they are of the specific genders. This means that the very problem of inequality means that a particular group of individuals are denied their very basic right to health (Dorlin, 1999). In this regard, the NHS should play the role of giving a keen eye to the very complex human interaction that brings about distinct social circumstances that introduce inequality to basic human right of health (Raphael, 2012). There is hence a need of evaluating the gender, age and race context in regards to accessibility to health care for the purposes of reducing health inequality.

Policy changes and enforcements

Some existing policies are seen to contribute to inequalities to the surprise of policy makers. These would mainly relate to the current pressing immigrants issue in the entire European region (Webber, 2014). NHS should evaluate all public health policies in regard to health to examine if they contribute to health inequalities, propose and implement appropriate changes (Fritzel and Lundberg, 2007). To start with would be the immigrants’ issue. In addition, it is important for NHS to scrutinize the particular roles played by the executive boards and also by the non-executive boards in regards to impacting changes in the health sector (NHS, 2008). There should be efficiency within the NHS which ensures that right policies are enacted by other stakeholders in the overall health sector. This is an important method of self evaluation that can help eliminate the problems of health inequality.

Eliminating individual social and economic disparities

One of the leading causes of health inequalities around the world is the economic circumstances between individuals in a particular social setting compared to another (House of Commons, 2008). Health inequality is mostly a gap which exists between those with the best social privileges such as a stable income and level of education and those with the complete opposite of these two social circumstances (Fritzel and Lundberg, 2007). When this is not exactly the case affecting UK, it affects persons in relation to their residential places and the facilities available there. NHS could work in ensuring that all facilities are equipped to the same degree across the system and not in relation to location.

Addressing social-political issues

Some of the leading causes of health inequalities are rooted in the socio-political structures that are in place. Politically, governments at times let their decision-making processes be affected by political factors which lead to poor resource distribution channels that result to scarcity and discrimination against a particular group (House of Commons, 2008). In such cases as these, service delivery is influenced throughout the system, healthcare not an exception. It is therefore important that NHS takes an active position in the scrutinization of the national distribution of resources by the government for the purposes of detecting and eliminating any causes of inequality in healthcare (Raphael, 2012).

Many countries with low political and economic inequality levels often have lower rates of health inequalities (Raphael, 2012). NHS could to some extent help in creating structural changes through developing equality in the level of facility distribution in reference to healthcare. Such structural changes should be addressed by government bodies to ensure that people of all political regions are able to access good healthcare regardless of age, disability or race. This means that structural changes in the working environment will play a key role in elevating or eliminating inequality levels in the country.

Taxation systems

The current system of taxation ensures that all working persons contribute towards a healthy health sector. Those who have more contribute more to the system than those with less. Though the system is workable in this nature, it doesn’t broaden wide enough to capture some groups such as all immigrants (Drummond et al, 2015).

NHS would develop an entire department for equality checks. This would be important as the department could detect any forms flaws that can lead to the development of inequality in the system (Fritzel and Lundberg, 2007). Moreover, any regulatory body is regarded as a watchdog especially to the interests of those groups which are regarded as minority in the society. Regulation is a necessary precaution that typically helps eliminate inequality in any organization, body or sector. The processes that could be checked in regard to regulation is in processes such as key decision making that could impact the entire healthcare system, development of healthcare policies and the general operation of the entire healthcare system.

Redistributing healthcare services

In the recent past, the government has noted the critical rise in figures of persons affected by what are referred to as ‘the lifestyle diseases’. These diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity among others. Unlike before where these diseases were noted mainly among the elderly, the age group has fallen to include the younger generations. This has put a strain on the NHS resources as more and more persons seek related treatment (England, 2015).

There is a need of the general healthcare system to have a comprehensive healthcare system that eliminates the chances of inequality through prioritizing the needs of some disadvantaged minority key population (Fritzel and Lundberg, 2007). NHS can play a key role in ensuring that some disadvantaged population such as the disabled, the elderly and those with chronic diseases are offered priorities in the existing healthcare system. Such groups can only be prioritized in the healthcare system as they cannot be equated to other patients seeking regular medical attention. NHS can help in development of government or private sponsored programs that help address the needs of certain such persons; the disabled, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.