The UK has more doctors per person than the US and the same number as France

So why is healthcare worse in the UK? We reveal the official numbers and ask serious questions of "Our NHS"

Junior doctors' strike image: Attribution: Roger Blackwell, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2023

We also look at the numbers of graduate nurses in the UK and in France and publish one reader's experience

The recent four day-long strike by junior doctors in the UK has once again shone the spotlight on the medical professions and on “Our NHS”. This was their fifth strike this year.

FactsEU.Org decided to look at two metrics which are often talked about. It is said that the UK has the lowest number of doctors per person amongst well-developed countries. Our research reveals this is not the case. Our nearest neighbour, France, has the same number, and yet it seems to deliver far better healthcare to its citizens. The UK also has far more qualified nurses than France.

We end with the testimony of a British reader who has experienced healthcare in the UK and in France. It may only be one testimony but we think other readers will find it shocking.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

No. of practising doctors(*) per thousand people in the population

UK : 3.18
France : 3.18
USA : 2.67

[Sources : EU Commission and OECD, data for 2021.]

(*) Definition of Doctors

The OECD shows a higher number for France than does the EU Commission. This is because the OECD reports numbers which include doctors who no longer practise but are “working in the health sector as managers, educators, researchers, etc. (adding another 5-10% of doctors).” We have therefore used the EU Commission data for France, which represents the number of doctors who actually treat patients.

The damage the junior doctors have done to the nation’s health

According to the British Medical Association:

“There is no doubt that the cumulative impact of strikes increases with each action, as the NHS continues to tackle the biggest backlog in its history.”
- NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, 09 Aug 2023

The BMA goes on to say : ”To date, around 778,000 hospital appointments across the NHS have been disrupted due to strikes, with over 458,000 staff shifts interrupted. Previous action by junior doctors saw up to 20,000 staff off per day due to industrial action and the most recent industrial action by junior doctors in July saw 102,000 hospital appointments disrupted over five days.”

Graduate nurses

The nursing profession in the UK is now ‘graduate only’. This forces nurses embarking on their career to undergo three years at university, rather than learning on the job as used to be the case. It is widely felt among many in the medical profession that this has put off a great many potential applicants in the UK from choosing nursing as their profession. It also forces more senior nurses with years of experience to go to university, if they wish to rise up the chain.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Qualified nurses per thousand people in the population

UK : 4.30
France : 3.62
USA : 6.65

[Source: OECD data for 2021.]

Here is how the OECD defines 'qualified nurses'

The definition of “nurse” varies from country to country. In order to present a comparable set of figures, we have used the OECD’s official data for nurses with a recognised qualification, including graduates.

“Nursing graduates refer to the number of students who have obtained a recognised qualification required to become a licensed or registered nurse. They include graduates from both higher level and lower level nursing programmes.”

A good nurse will sometimes spot symptoms and then speak to the patient’s doctor about her or his concerns. Aside from the care they give to sick patients, this can be a valuable tool in the early identification of serious conditions, allowing early treatment.

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Finally, the testimony of someone who experienced the British and French medical systems

Below is the story of a British reader who fell ill in the UK, experienced the NHS, and subsequently went to France. It is only the experience of one person, but we believe it begs many questions of “Our NHS”. We received this some time ago but it’s our first opportunity to use it.

“Dear facts4eu, I know you have many subjects to cover but if you do healthcare then my story might help. Please keep my name confidential.

“Some years ago I became ill and I went to see my GP in the UK many times as I got sicker but apart from some basic blood tests (for simple things like vitamin D!) they didn’t take it seriously. In the end they told me “It must be a virus.” It was like I was an irritant but I was someone who had never bothered my GPs before in my life. That should have told them this was serious.

“It was. I had a slow-growing tumour and I only found this out when in France. I’m lucky enough to have a place there so I went to see if the climate would help. I registered with the local GP no problem. I saw him a few times (very rapid each time) and then got sicker. He started making house calls at 24 hours’ notice. Then he referred me and I had an appointment with a specialist within three days.

“This specialist had a hunch and I had an MRI the next day. Imagine that in the UK? No, nor me. Sure enough I had a tumour. I was given a priority status and since then I haven’t had to pay for my treatment. The tumour is now out and the aftercare from the nurses who’ve come to the house has been superb. If I had a bad patch they came here the same day.

“I thought my little story might be interesting if you ever compare Our NHS with other countries’ systems.”

Observations

Any implied criticism of 'Our NHS' has of course attracted huge opprobrium from those who swear blind allegiance to this bloated organisation. We will no doubt be on the receiving end again for publishing this report, even though we have used the official facts.

When it comes to the striking junior doctors, we would simply ask one question. Doesn't the Hippocratic Oath require them to "Do no harm"? Judging from the BMA's assessment, these strikes have clearly caused significant harm to patients.

On international comparisons, we found it interesting that the UK has the same number of patients per doctor as France, and far more qualified nurses. Given this, it must be asked if the management of the NHS is to blame. It's high time we stopped talking about 'Our NHS' as if it were a religious institution that can't be blasphemed against. The government urgently needs to bring in some top business heads to sort this out. Cutting out swathes of 'management' levels would allow far more money to go to the front-end - where doctors and nurses treat patients in a timely and caring fashion.

Finally, we would argue that the training of new doctors and nurses has been simply lamentable for many years. This needs to be addressed with alacrity.

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[ Sources: EU Commission | OECD | BMA ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Thurs 24 Aug 2023

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Reader Comments 20

11. Ashley Great Britain , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 11:17:

You can delete number 9 that was an error. Computer says no.

12. Ashley Great Britain , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 11:20:

10 NH.
-
That was the EU showing their true colours. They would do anything and everything to everyone if they need to. They prove it time and again.

13. LuxuryBalloon , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 11:21:

When we have NHS nurses like Lucy Letby … who needs the EU.

14. NH , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 14:13:

French Health Service
I understand the French Health Service is funded differently from the UK. All Legal citizens are covered for essential services and emergencies but other services are covered by Health Insurance which is quite expensive. All employees and self employed people are legally required to have this health insurance. Doctors appointments and hospitalisation are charged and, if you have health insurance, most of this can be claimed back from the insurance company with the patient paying a percentage of the cost.
.
Personally I would be happy to pay extra provided it ensured that, if I do need it, it would definitely be there. At the moment it feels like we are paying for something, via taxation, which may not be available if we need it.

15. LuxuryBalloon , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 16:39:

If people don’t like the NHS, I recommend to get private healthcare.

16. Island Mentality , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 21:27:

This feels too incomplete to learn anything worthwhile, except that the EU are more efficient - which is odd when the impression usually given is that the EU are too bureaucratic to be anything but. What's missing is why the EU are so efficient on similar numbers - unless all you want to do is arrive at the pre-conceived solution of privatisation. This would be much more meaningful if funding data between EU & NHS hospitals was available Do the EU not supply this the data? If possible, why not include the pay & benefits on both sides of the pond for nurses & doctors.
For a more thorough data set, it would be nice to include the same for Australia - the top destination for junior doctors, where pay, hours & benefits are reportedly drawing many over there. Those have to be important metrics if people are relocating so far. The Australia deal & warm weather can't be all there is to it. How one can expect high moral & performance from people in underfunded public institutions who are expected to work for applause
or a pat on the back during a cost of living crisis & study loan commitments is still hard to understand .
Some private sector employees are paid based on the reasoning that if they are not paid well, then they won't perform well. Yet we expect health workers to be different while dealing with lives..
Could it be that the NHS under Brexit was set to be slowly run down so that it could be privatised as the dossiers purported? It's hard not to consider that when the infamous '£350 million for the NHS' on the side of a bus was said to be non-committal immediately after the photo-op.

17. KB , Thursday, August 24, 2023, 23:21:

A great many of our GP's are actually part timers.
If the doctor numbers were based on full-time equivalents, the picture might be different.

18. Gazzablack , Friday, August 25, 2023, 00:11:

16, mental
.
Reported in French newspaper 'Liberation' - French hospitals are severely understaffed, and are holding on by a thread.
In France there are fewer doctors now than in 2012. More than 6 million people including 600,000 with chronic illnesses, do not have a regular GP and 30% of the population does not have adequate access to health services.
About 87% of France could be called a medical desert, junior health minister Agnes Firmin Le Bodo said last year.
.
More than 23,000 posts remain unfilled in Germany's hospitals after several years of low recruitment and recent mass resignations.
Last year the German Hospital Society noted that many hospitals had had to temporarily close casualty departments due to lack of doctors and nurses.
.
Both Spain and Italy have reported similar staff shortages following decades of under investment, competition for staff between regions, and the lure of better wages abroad.
According to ABF research, in 2031 the Netherlands might face a shortage as big as 135,000 healthcare workers.
The Brussels times reported that 'summer staff shortages are pushing Belgian hospitals to the brink'.
.
Poland, Greece, Portugal and the rest, the list goes on, it's the same story throughout the EU (even non EU Switzerland which "benefits" from FOM)
.
I'm not sure I understand your point regarding they "infamous" £350 million though.
1, Vote leave was a campaign group, not a political party standing for office. It wasn't in a position to make the promise you infer
2, The NHS budget has been increased by far greater than £350 million a week.

19. Andy , Friday, August 25, 2023, 06:51:

The problem with the NHS is really eminently simple: it doesn't work and never has nor ever will.
The simple reason it doesn't work is because the Patient (Consumer) is not in charge of the process, rather the producer is. It is simple economics.
And frankly I think the Doctors are bone idle and lazy. As my Dentist remarked (a Private business you'll note) 'At the start of the 'Pandemic' we had to close for one week. I've continued treating patients throughout'. If a Dentist can carry on seeing Patients, looking into an open mouth all day long, why can't a Doctor ? Simple. The Dentist doesn't see patients he starves. The Doctor gets paid whether or not he sees anyone because he gets so much per patient on his list. The solution is simple too. For the Doctor to get paid he has to see patients, otherwise he starves.
As to Hospitals these should be privatised or returned to their original owners - people forget that Bevan created the NHS on theft. Most of the great hospitals belonged to Charitable Foundations from whom Bevan stole their assets without any compensation. So lets restore the system to what it was before - a mixture of public and private provision, and lets get the State out of healthcare.

20. KB , Friday, August 25, 2023, 10:28:

Andy (19) raises a good point and that is DENTISTS.
We now cannot get NHS dental treatment in many areas of the UK. The vast majority of dentists will not take on new NHS patients.
I had the opposite experience in the pandemic -it was almost impossible to see a dentist. There was an emergency NHS dental phone number, all the "private" dentists ran away.
Anyhow I wonder how we compare with EU countries for state-provided dental services ? I suspect not very well.

20 comments, page 2 of 2

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