We are living fewer years in good health: Is the NHS part of the problem?
Summary
People in the UK are living fewer years in good health, even though overall life expectancy has not dropped much. Many adults report long-term health problems, and some, like Angie, feel the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) does not provide enough support for their conditions. In contrast, some people find foreign healthcare systems, like Bulgaria’s, more responsive despite extra costs.Key Facts
- Angie, a woman living in the English Midlands, plans to move to Bulgaria partly for better healthcare and community support.
- Bulgaria’s healthcare system combines public and private elements, with employees paying a part of their salary into health insurance and some extra fees for medical visits.
- Around 36% of working-age adults in the UK reported long-term health conditions in early 2023, up from 31% in 2019.
- Healthy life expectancy in the UK dropped to about 60.7 years for men and 60.9 for women in 2022-2024, down by nearly 2 years compared to 2019-2021.
- The UK is one of five rich countries where healthy life expectancy has declined recently, even though life expectancy overall has remained stable or improved.
- Healthy life expectancy measures how many years people expect to live in good health, which reflects better quality of life than just life expectancy.
- A UK government spokesperson said efforts are underway to focus more on preventing sickness and reducing health inequality, with some improvements in GP satisfaction and waiting times.
- The decline in healthy life expectancy is worse in deprived areas, meaning poorer communities are affected more.
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