Yorkshire losing faith in NHS ability to provide care into old age (From York Press)
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Yorkshire losing faith in NHS ability to provide care into old age
10:38am Thursday 12th July 2012 in News
Ken Hesketh
PEOPLE in our region are losing faith in the ability of the NHS to look after us in our old age and may be willing to pay “top up” fees for care, according to new figures.
Only 31 per cent of the Yorkshire public believe the NHS will provide the right support and healthcare as they grow old – scoring this region one of the lowest across the UK.
Results show that only 34 per cent of those questioned in the survey, by the York-based, non-profit Benenden Healthcare Society, believe that the NHS will be there for them in ten years’ time – with a further drop to less than one in three (30 per cent) when looking ahead to 20 years’ time.
Ken Hesketh, chief executive of Benenden, said: “Whilst still feeling confident in the service provision the NHS offers today, the research findings show that the public have genuine concerns over the future of the NHS and its ability to provide for them in the years ahead.
“The public are clearly concerned about what lies further down the road when it comes to healthcare reassurance.
“What these findings also show is that there is a real need for further consideration of the future of healthcare provision and how improving rather than deteriorating standards can be financed.”
The survey also showed that while a majority of the British public still want to see their GP for free, nearly one in five (17 per cent) would be willing to spend small amounts (£5 a month) for seeing their hospital consultant more quickly, with a further 13 per cent willing to pay more than £5 a month.
Similarly 27 per cent would pay extra to receive inpatient care and 22 per cent to access free physiotherapy.
Mr Hesketh said: “Realistically, the country’s public finances are unable to sustain a level of spend that the public have come to expect in the past decade and the role of ‘top-up’ payments and co-payment plans will be crucial for the continuation of good quality healthcare.
“This means that there is a real place for mutual organisations such as Benenden Healthcare Society to complement the healthcare provision of the NHS in the future.”
