Britain is facing an unprecedented health crisis these days. Because of the health-workers’ strikes and services stalled, patients are dying on hospital floors, in hospital alleys, stuck ambulances and other places. As per Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, every week, around 500 people are losing their lives due to the lack of treatment. The doctors in Britain have stated that the condition of the hospitals in the country is worse than engaged-in-war Ukraine.
Doctor Paul Ransom, who has been honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE), said that the condition of Britain’s hospitals is worse than Ukraine and Sri Lanka. He also expressed his helplessness regarding the patients who were lying in the hospital alleys, waiting for treatment. He added that when he witnesses his NHS colleagues to be incapable of looking after the patients, he starts blaming his own self.
He stated how he had also seen patients lying in the hospital corridors in countries like Georgia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe, and mentioned that as compared, the condition of Britain is poorer. It is becoming tough for the nurses to decide as to which patient is in the most serious condition and which patient should be called inside the crowdy emergency room for treatment. He has also asked the British government to ask for help from other countries on a humanitarian basis. No other European country has as poor health services as in Britain.
In Britain, the health services, running the hospitals, and the funds are all managed under the National Health Services (NHS) by the government. In the last few years, the Conservative governments reduced the hospital funds and reduced the number of workers. The salaries of the workers are less as well. It can clearly be gauged that the health services in Britain have crumbled from the fact that even if a normal patient wishes to consult a physician, they are getting appointments of 6-9 months later!
If one plans to go for a major surgery, they have to wait for 18 long months. The situation aggravated further when, last month, the NHS nurses and ambulance staff went on a strike, asking for higher payments and better working conditions.
When Rishi Sunak became the Prime Minister of the country, he had promised that more nurses and doctors will be employed for NHS, so that patients would not have to wait for long in order to consult with a doctor, the number of beds were also to be increased. But till now, nothing concrete has been done despite the promises made. The problem exacerbated further on Wednesday when the nurses and ambulance staff rejected the government’s offer of a salary hike, stating that the amount was still very low.
