Study reveals inequalities in treatment between rich, poor in Britain's health care system
August 23, 2022, 10:29 am

Study reveals inequalities in treatment between rich, poor in Britain's health care system

A study by academics at the University of Manchester said healthcare professionals might unconsciously assign lower clinical priority to patients from poorer areas compared to those from more affluent areas - Photo. Pixabay

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) is celebrated around the country as a beacon of health care. However, an academic report says the NHS principle of "equal access for equal need" is not being upheld in England's emergency departments, the Xinhua reported.

The National Health Service is the publicly funded healthcare system in England, and one of the four National Health Service systems in the United Kingdom.

It is the second largest single-payer healthcare system in the world after the Brazilian Sistema Único de Saúde.

By analysing national data on patients arriving by ambulances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments at all major English hospitals, researchers found patients from more deprived areas waited longer to receive treatment and received less complex treatment than those from more affluent areas, even when presenting the same health conditions at the same hospital.

The NHS principle of "equal access for equal need" is not being upheld in England's emergency departments - Photo. Pixabay

"The observed inequalities were present even when A&E departments were less crowded, indicating that inequalities aren't concentrated in periods when staff are under greater time pressure," the study concluded.

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It is possible, said the researchers, that unconscious bias is why lower priority was given to patients from deprived areas.

The findings, published in the Journal of Health Economics, are the first to show evidence of income-related inequalities in access to timely and appropriate emergency care in England.

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