Healthcare debates in the Commons are likely to step up a level after a new report has been published this month on the challenges facing the NHS. The research, which was carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit, discusses the main issues facing the health service and makes recommendations for improvements. The NHS is already a major policy area for political parties, even more so as the general election draws closer and MPs will be looking at how they can solve the problems defined in the report if they are a part of the successful government later this year. The main issues identified by the EIU were budget cuts, the quality of social care provisions and increasing waiting times for treatment. Long waiting lists are one of the most common reasons why people decide to get a quote for private medical insurance and consider an alternative to the NHS.


The report – ‘Doing more with less – Britain’s healthcare funding challenges’ deals with concerns about the almost inevitable cut in government funding for the NHS as politicians try to pay back some of the record amount of debt that the UK now has. It may not be that the NHS has a reduction in funding, but indeed it is unlikely that the huge increases in budget that it has received over the past few years will continue. Among the recommendations made by the study were to increase the role of the private sector in healthcare provision, including a better partnership between the two parts of the healthcare system. This could mean a greater number of people will opt to top up their NHS treatment by paying for the extra cost themselves or via a private medical insurance policy. Industry experts have also called for a tax break for people with private health cover to be considered by the next government.