The UK National Health Service is getting worse, but it seems more money is being spent on it - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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I've taken a look at statistics for the National Healthcare Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK), which provides government-run healthcare to the UK population.

Everyone knows the services at the NHS are getting worse and the system is underfunded. But at the same time the statistics show that more and more money is being spent on it.


UK GDP 2000 1.666 trillion (in USD) (equivalent to 2.293 in 2015)
UK GDP 2015 2.935 trillion (in USD)

100 USD in 2000 is equivalent in purchasing power to 137.64 USD in 2015
£100 in 2000 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £151.83 in 2015

UK population
58.89 million (2000)
65.12 million (2015)

2.293 trillion GDP / 58.89 million population = 38937 per capita (in USD)
2.935 trillion GDP / 65.12 million population = 45070 per capita (in USD)

Annual public healthcare spending per capita in the United Kingdom (UK) (in GBP)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/472 ... ingdom-uk/
2000 1,021.65 (GBP) (equivalent to 1,551.17 in 2015)
2015 2,316.95 (GBP)

"In 2022/23, health spending in the United Kingdom was 3,085 British pounds per capita"
Government spending on health per capita UK 2023, by region
Published by D. Clark, Jan 4, 2024

related thread:
Young woman in UK almost died because of national healthcare system
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=181393


I can advance a possible theory. Expenses are getting higher due to increasing land and housing costs, which is due to increasing population and many city areas becoming overcrowded.

This means the UK is becoming poorer in land, and in housing infrastructure (per person). So despite more money being spent (and seeming wealth), it is possible increases in NHS spending has not kept pace with this effect.

If, for example, wage levels for healthcare workers increase a little bit, but housing costs go up, then in reality the effective wages have gone down.
And increased land and rent prices have a trickle down effect on all the other prices. (I'd guess most of that must be captured in the official inflation rate assessment, but not all of it)

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