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Hot Topics
List of hot topics:
Junior doctor strikes of July- junior doctors were striking for full pay
restoration. Organised by the BMA, which is the trade union for doctors in
the UK. Argument of for and against junior doctors striking. For- human
right to strike, especially when you feel as if you aren’t properly
compensated, by incentivising doctors by paying more, you are reducing
the chances of doctors moving abroad for better pay, which decreases
issues of staff shortages. However, also the issue of the fact that if doctors
are on strike, could affect peoples appointments, some people could have
been waiting a long time for a crucial appointment. Also, public perception
that doctors earn quite well, so my doing strikes, it could cause the public
to view doctors as just caring about money, which could potentially affect
the trust that patients have within their doctors
Antibiotic resistance- according to recent government backed research,
deaths due to multiple drug resistance could reach 10 million by 2050 if
inappropriate antibiotic use continues. Can be caused by overprescribing
antibiotics in hospitals and GP practices, but also, livestock in injected with
antibiotics, so eating meat could also contribute. Sometimes, people may
take over the counter antibiotics for illness caused by viruses, in that case it
wouldn’t be effective, as viruses are non living. Research by Public Health
England shows that 20% of antibiotic prescriptions from GPs in the UK may
be inappropriate. However, the pressure to convince patients that they have
received something from their appointments has led to less patient
satisfaction from doctors who prescribe less. GP’s have been encouraged
to prescribe sparingly, but also, more education has been pushed out, one
that comes to mind is that advert with the catchy tune- ‘Antibiotics, they're
wonderful pills, but don't let it think it can cure all of your ills’.
Covid-19 and effects on the NHS- many effects of Covid-19 on the NHS.
Severe backlog created as a result of the COVID pandemic. According to
article by BMA, there has been doubling in waiting time for treatment, going
from 8 weeks to now 14 weeks. Has been ways to tackle, for example, at
Hot Topics 1
, my GP, they introduced a triage form system where you can fill out a form
in order to book an appointment, however, generally patients are still
dissatisfied, but find it better than having to book in at 8 am instead. Also,
deteriorating mental health of healthcare workers has increased as a result
of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is due to harder working conditions as well
as increased staff pressures and further problems. Healthcare workers
have to juggle the responsibility of looking after patients as well as
protecting themselves and their families. According to survey done by the
Institute for Public Policy Research, 50% of surveyed healthcare workers
felt as if their mental health had deteriorated during the first 2 months of
the pandemic. However, one positive that has arisen due to the Covid-19
pandemic, initiatives that have been given more funding post covid, like the
community NHS health checks that I currently perform, as there has been
an increasing emphasis on prevention over cure. Also, greater integration of
technology within the NHS, where many GP practices now carry out online
consultations
Brexit and the effects on the NHS- Brexit officially occurred on 31st Jan
2020, there has been debate between opposing political factions on
whether Brexit positively or negatively affected the NHS. An argument used
by leavers in 2018, is that the gov promised a 20 billion pound increase in
the NHS budget, payed through something called the Brexit dividend.
However, the cost of leaving the EU cost more than staying, therefore the
money saved would be negligible and would not contribute to the NHS
budget. Another argument used is that as immigration laws become stricter
as a result of Brexit, and this would mean there would be a smaller
population. This would positively affect how resources are utilized across
the NHS, as there is a smaller population to look after. However, stricter
immigration laws also would cause issues with staffing. Figures from the
Nursing and Midwifery show that 500 nurses and midwives left the NHS
since 2017, stating Brexit as their reason
Privatization of the NHS- Different healthcare systems set up in different
countries, for example in France, taxation is used to fund the national health
care service, and individual practitioners set up their own charges, and a
set tariff is reimbursed back. The difference in charge and tariff can be
sorted by insurance companies. What are the benefits of some patients
receiving private healthcare in the UK- puts less work onto the NHS, as
resources are spread between less patients, helping with issues such as
lack of resources and outdated infrastructure. Also, link to autonomy,
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