Access Health Care in the UK Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Access Health Care in the UK - Research Paper Example In this paper, the current health care policy of UK will be analyzed critically along with mentioning of key suggestions and recommendations in encouraging further improvement. In UK healthcare is mainly facilitated by a publicly financed service called National Health Service (NHS), which is funded by general taxation and national insurances. Most of the mainstream primary and secondary health services (such as Hospital services, preventive services, prescribed Hospital drugs and physician services) are provided free of cost to all permanent UK residents. (Siciliani & Borowitz et al., 2013) However, treatments for infectious diseases like AIDS/HIV and emergency visits are free for visitors or illegal residents. Restricted co-payments are taken for dental care, mental healthcare, palliative care and vision care. Senior citizens, children, pregnant women and lower-income families are kept devoid of these payments. General practitioners are used for provision of primary healthcare and necessary future referrals in NHS. Specialist outpatient care including primary dental care, mental care and eye services are based on private sector contracts. Long-term care such as residential care and continued services are quite restricted in NHS. (Harrison, 2014) In UK, NHS is provided under National Health Service Act 1946.It covered England and Wales while Scotland and Northern Ireland were provided with separate legislations. According to this Act, NHS was to be availed freely by all citizens irrespective of race, gender, marital status, age or disability. However, reforms in the initial policies led to the invention of Health and Social Care Act, 2012. It focuses more on health care improvement and quality of services provided. Maternity and Childcare policy: Pregnant women are provided with best available health services and maternity care at NHS hospitals. Provision of a midwife for labor, birth, pre-and-post-delivery care is ensured. In case of miscarriages and