An Analysis of the National Health Service: Principles and Reforms

This essay provides an overview of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, focusing on its core principles established in 1948, which include universal access irrespective of wealth, free service at the point of use, and clinical need as the basis for treatment. It outlines the seven key components that guide the service, emphasizing comprehensive care, needs-based access, commitment to excellence, patient-centeredness, collaboration, value for taxpayer money, and public accountability. Furthermore, the essay summarizes the key changes introduced by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, highlighting the strengthening of commissioning, increased accountability, liberated service provision, enhanced public health services, and overall health and care reformation, along with improvements to patient involvement, complaints processes, staff rights, and integrated care.

Running head: NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
Name of the Student:
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Author Note:

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1.1 The National Health Service had been created based on the idea of providing good
healthcare to the citizens of UK. The chief aim was that affordable healthcare service must be
available to everyone regardless of their wealth (Colbert et al. 2015). The National Health
Service was established on July 5 1948 by the contemporary health minister, Aneurin Bevan.
From beginning the service had ethos which was based on these three core principles:
 The service will be accessed by everyone irrespective of class
 The National Health Service will be free
 It is basically a clinical need and not the ability to pay.
1.2 the key components of NHS:
There are seven basic components that guides the service as well as the NHS patients.
1. The service provides a complete service available to all its citizens.
2. Accessing the service is based on the medical need of the patients and not their
capability for payment.
3. The NHS has aspiration to provide an excellent service and professionalism
4. Total preferences will be given on the patients
5. For serving the interest of wider population, local communities and the patients, the
service works collaboratively with other organization (Samuel 2016).
6. Providing best value for the taxpayer’s money a sustainable usage of resources.
7. It is accountable to the patients, communities and public.
Firstly, the service is provided to people irrespective of gender, class, race, age disability,
religion, pregnancy, maternity, sexual orientation and reassignment, civil partnership. It is
designed for diagnosing, treating and improving both mental and physical health. It respects
and serves all maintain human rights.

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Secondly, the parliament sanctions for meagre payment under special situation otherwise all
the services are free of charges. The poor section of the citizens can avail the services free of
cost.
Thirdly, the services are safe, effective and stressed on the experiences of the patients. For
best support, the authority provides training, education and equipment to its employees. The
NHS commits for innovation, scope for research in order to provide quality care for current
as well as future health service.
Fourthly, the NHS aims to support the individuals for promoting and managing their health
therefore, al necessary needs of the patients, families as well as careers are provided (Glied
and Altman 2017). The NHS aims to encourage feedback of the public, employees and its
patients for improving their service,
Fifthly, NHS is a cohesive system where the organisations and services are integrated
together by the constitutional values and principles. It works jointly with local authority,
public sector organizations and private as well as voluntary services organization for
delivering healthy wellbeing.
Sixthly, The National Health Service commits to provide best value for the public money by
providing public the best benefits through its services.
Seventhly, The National Health Service is funded through the national taxation. As the
government sets framework for the service, the committee is responsible for all its operation
to the parliament. Especially the treatment of the patients and the organizational services are
to be reported to the national government so that it can state clear and updated statement
about the accountability of NHS.
1.3 summary of the key changes:

3NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 had been first published on June 2012 and implemented
from April 2013. This Act brought the most extensive reforms of the NHS since it was
originated in 1948.
The reform puts clinicians at the centre of contracting, frees up the providers for innovation,
empowers the patients and offers a new focus to the public health. The Act discusses the
following themes:
 strengthening of the commissioning of NHS services
 increasing the democratic accountability along with public voice
 liberating the provision of NHS services
 strengthening the public health services
 reformation of health and care
An updated NHS Constitution was published on April 2013 that follow a consultation to seek
views on a large number of the proposed changes (Nolan et al. 2014). Important areas, which
were improved:
 patient involvement
 complaints
 staff rights, responsibilities and commitments
 patient information
 end of life care
 feedback
 duty of candour
 end of life care
 integrated care
 dignity, respect and compassion

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