Press Release: Revolution in British healthcare will gather pace after the next election

Press Release

Contact:
Dr Tim Evans (President, CNE) + 32 (0) 2 506 4000 or +44 07956 969523, tim.evans@cne.org

Revolution in British healthcare will gather pace after the next election

BRUSSELS, 10 SEPTEMBER 2004 — A revolution is already underway in Britain that could spell the end of "free at the point of delivery" health services in Britain after the next General Election, regardless of which party wins. More than 7 million British people have already taken out some form of private medical insurance, according to a report into the future of healthcare services in Europe published today. Six million more have healthcare cash plans. The number of people paying as they go has grown by 20% in the past three years.

The Centre for the New Europe, a Brussels-based think tank predicts that - regardless of what politicians of both major parties might be saying today - the NHS is transforming into a regulator of private health services and abandoning the principles of its founders.

To empower patients for the future, the report's authors propose a nine-point plan for the next UK government to consider:

1. Enable NHS independent sector treatment centres to provide acute surgery to insured and self-funded patients over and above the work they are contracted to deliver for the NHS.

2. Enable NHS foundation trusts to launch, in partnership with insurers, their own locally branded personal, corporate health insurance and cash benefit plans.

3. Improve incentives for individuals to hold personal or corporate health coverage.

4. Promote workforce occupational health and rehabilitation services so that employees are kept fit and in work.

5. Assist the development of personal and corporate long-term care products which are integrated with a range of permanent health and pension products.

6. Provide incentives for trades unions, churches and other institutions in civil society to furnish their members with an enhanced range of membership health products.

7. Liberalise the laws that currently preclude doctors and other health professionals from advertising their services. Such a change will not only encourage greater competition with positive supply-side effects, but it will greatly empower patients.

8. Liberalise the laws that currently preclude direct to consumer information about prescription medicines. By better informing and empowering patients, they will be better equipped to take more control of their healthcare choices.

9. Ensure that all healthcare suppliers publish comparative performance data so that consumers can make informed judgements between competing suppliers. The Centre for the New Europe is Europe's leading, Brussels based, think-tank.

Towards greater partnership in healthcare funding: The rise of health consumerism in British and other European healthcare systems is written by Stephen Pollard, Dr. Tim Evans, Dr. Cecile Philippe and Alberto Mingardi. It is published on-line at the CNE web site (www.cne.org).

The Centre for the New Europe (CNE) is Europe's leading, Brussels based, free market think-tank.