The King's Fund - Health and social care in England: tackling the myths (3 August 2022)

Summary

The health and care system in the UK is under intense pressure and as a result, patient and public satisfaction with services has dropped significantly, prompting debate and discussion about the future of health and care services. In this article, Charlotte Wickens, Policy Adviser at The King's Fund, looks at five 'myths' perpetuated about the NHS by politicians and the media. She analyses the extent to which each myth can be backed up or debunked by the available data and evidence.

The myths she analyses are:

1. The NHS is a bottomless pit, demanding more and more money
2. The NHS is inefficient
3. GPs aren't working hard enough to meet demand for appointments
4. The government has 'fixed' social care
5. The NHS is being privatised