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National Health System ( Nhs ) Essay

Decent Essays

National Health System (NHS) England (1800words) The National Health System began in 1948 with the aim to provide free health care for the English thus removing health access inequities. This essay considers two strengths of the NHS, being free health and locally responsive health care and two weaknesses being the financial burden and unprecedented pressure on health care resources. One of the strengths of the NHS England is residents receive free fully funded medical care that includes all medical treatment, screenings including antenatal, dental, prescriptions, specialist referrals and optometrists (NHS England, 2016). Furthermore, while being free at point of access, the NHS system is an efficient, effective, care, safe, coordinated and patient centred system that was ranked number two worldwide on equity (NHS England, 2016). Free healthcare supports Ham 's (2010) claim that being free at point of entry is a characteristic of a high performing health care system. The benefits of free healthcare were that everyone was able to get the same medical treatment. The delivery of health care through Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) is another strength. CCG’s were created in 2012 following the passing of the Health and Social Care Act, to replace primary care trusts in 2013(NHS England, 2013). Their strength lies in their authority and purpose to provide health care that is responsive to a geographical area and set patient number. They are clinically led, often by local

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