29.06.12
Scottish life expectancy lowest – NAO
Life expectancy varies significantly across the four countries of the UK, a new NAO report demonstrates. The report compares UK health services on life expectancy, number of emergency admissions and spending on health care.
England has the highest life expectancy for both men and women, while Scotland has the lowest. Spending on healthcare per capita is highest inScotland, followed by Wales and Northern Ireland, with England spending just £1,900 per person in 2010/11.
In terms of spending on healthcare as a percentage of the total public spend however, England has the highest at 22%, followed by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A&E cases have increased in hospitals in all four nations, as has spending.
The NAO says that differences in how each nation’s health services are organised and operate, and how and what data is collected, makes it difficult for meaningful comparisons to be made.
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: “We publish this report at a time when the NHS across theUKis under increasing pressure to use resources more efficiently.
“Funding is tighter while the demand for healthcare continues to grow as a result of an ageing population and advances in drugs and technology.
“We consider that there would be value in the health departments in the four nations carrying out further work to investigate the variations in performance and identify how they can learn from each other to achieve better value for money for taxpayers and better care for patients.”
To view the full report, visit: www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/healthcare_across_the_uk.aspx
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