Member Article

NW NHS medical professionals fear for public’s welfare

The vast majority (92%) of North West medical professionals are concerned about the level of care patients receive from the British healthcare system, with over a third (32%) of professionals being extremely concerned. These findings mark the launch of the British Health Report 2015 commissioned by Your Legal Friend, one of the UK’s leading personal injury and medical negligence firms. The British Health Report uncovers the opinions of both medical professionals and the public about the state of healthcare services in the UK.

Despite the concerns of medical professionals, patients have a much more positive view of the care they receive. Four fifths (81%) feel they are in safe hands whilst in the care of a NHS hospital and nine in ten (90%) trust the medical treatment they receive, indicating that UK patients have great confidence in the NHS. Key findings show that over a quarter (26%) of medical professionals believe the NHS is in need of urgent investment to prevent care standards falling further. Two thirds (66%) of medical professionals believe that the 2010 reforms damaged the NHS and they feel that they have not gained any further support from the Government.

Across the differing professions surveyed in the British Health Report, General Practitioners are the most concerned about the state of the NHS, with nearly half (45%) indicating that the British healthcare system is in poor health and a further quarter (28%) believing the NHS is in very poor health and needs urgent investment to ensure high standards of care. However GPs are not alone in their concerns. Other medical practitioners share the same views, with seven in 10 (71%) surgeons expressing the view that the NHS is in poor health, followed by consultants (66%) and specialist doctors (54%).

57% of North West medical professionals are extremely concerned about lack of bed space on wards with 66% believing this impacts waiting times and increases patient dissatisfaction. Surgeons (78%) in particular are concerned about the lack of bed space, a factor that can significantly delay how quickly people can have life-saving operations.

Laura Morgan, Director of Medical Negligence at Your Legal Friend, commented: “The British Health Report demonstrates that patients have genuine trust in the British healthcare system. Whilst medical professionals may feel they are in a midst of a crisis, they must be commended for providing unwavering care to patients. It’s clear that the majority of the public love the NHS and admire the care it provides to those in need. “However, the British Health Report does show there are underlying issues that could have a damaging impact on patient welfare. We call on the Government to listen to medical professionals working at the coal face of medical care and address standards now. Patients have the right to high quality treatment and support yet it is clear that the quality of care that medical professionals can provide is at serious risk. If this is not addressed, for some unfortunate people, it could lead to devastating consequences.”

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