information for practice

During 2007, the Healthcare Commission highlighted some instances of seriously poor practice and failures in service in healthcare. Are these a sign of more widespread problems in healthcare in England and Wales? The reality is complex. For example, in a 2007 report by the Commonwealth Fund, the UK was ranked first among six developed countries for its provision of healthcare, in relation to quality of care, access, effectiveness and efficiency. In 2007, we rated significantly more NHS organisations “excellent” for the quality of their services and their use of resources than in 2006. Basic standards in the NHS and the independent healthcare sector are also getting better. The overall health of the population also continues to improve. People are living longer and infant mortality is falling. Access to hospital services, including treatment for cancer, continues to improve as waiting times fall. The numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS increased during 2007. However, there are areas that need to improve. We found that although patients rated their overall quality of care highly, some aspects of their experience of healthcare fell short. For example, providers of services need to improve their planning of patients’ care to ensure that their services meet individuals’ needs.