How healthcare cutbacks can affect you

Whenever we’re feeling ill or become injured, our first instinct is to get medical attention. This usually means going to the nearest hospital or health centre to get seen by a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, but that could soon be under the threat of cuts in healthcare provision if some politicians get their way.

As you might already know, the global economy is struggling at the moment and has been for a few years. One consequence of widespread austerity is that governments worldwide are looking to try and reduce spending in order to meet the challenges, and that means budgets for healthcare, education, welfare and other important areas are likely to be squeezed.

Are the cuts too deep?

Even the tiniest amount of money sliced off the healthcare budget is likely to have an impact. While those in charge will say that they’re going to ‘ring-fence’ essential services, it seems inevitable that something important such as hospital beds or new equipment designed to improve care for cancer patients will be up for the chop.

In the UK, there are concerns that cuts being made to the healthcare budget are too deep and unsustainable, but how could they affect you? Less money available for healthcare means that the standard of treatment you receive will either be lower or, in extreme circumstances, you might have to go without care for your illness or injury.

Privatisation of some services is likely to happen in the next two or three years, while some hospitals in smaller towns or rural areas are likely to be scaled down or closed entirely. Some people may have to get private healthcare in order to get the treatment needed either out of necessity or because waiting too long for healthcare is something they don’t want to go through.

Facing longer waits

Many hospitals have been forced to lay off staff in order to keep costs down. As a result, departments including A&E wards see patients waiting longer to see a doctor, some as long as four hours according to this article on medicalsolicitors.co.uk. Accident and Emergency is the last place you want to wait for attention.

With as many as one in three patients experiencing excruciating waits until they receive treatment at A&E, it shows that healthcare cuts are proving to be disastrous for patients. Perhaps putting any further cuts off could work, but that seems unlikely to happen at this moment in time.

In association with Medical Solicitors