Al Jazeera Media Feature: What ails UK health service? Doctors’ protests or budget cuts?

The UK's NHS, though well-funded, faces challenges with below-average health outcomes compared to other affluent countries. Professor Nora Colton highlighted the influence of health and social inequalities on these outcomes. She stressed that increased funding in hospital care alone is insufficient and emphasized the need for enhanced investment in primary care, diagnostics, and prevention to improve overall health outcomes.

“Soaring inflation, high energy costs, the structural changes and impact of Brexit and an ageing population, you’ve got the perfect storm”, says Professor Nora Colton, director of the Global Business School for Health (GBSH) at University College of London (UCL).

“The UK spends 10 percent of its GDP on health, yet health outcomes are lower than in other countries. That’s because of health inequality, social inequality, it all exacerbates health outcomes,” explains Colton from UCL.

“Pouring more money into hospital care isn’t going to fix things, to do that we need to make sure that primary care, diagnostics and prevention are invested in.”

Al Jazeera is a Qatari news organisation established in 1996, renowned for its detailed coverage of international affairs, with a focus on the Middle East and developing nations. The network, offering content in various languages, is known for presenting diverse perspectives, including those often underrepresented in Western media. Al Jazeera is committed to delivering thorough and impartial journalism, though it has encountered criticism linked to the political and policy landscape of Qatar.

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