Many consider the NHS to be one of our society’s most precious resources. But it has historically been under a lot of pressure, and that pressure is increasing for several reasons. These include economic, social and political pressures — and they are all interlinked. Current NHS issues are also a common topic at interview – so it’s essential your knowledge is up to date!
The page answers the following questions:
Some of the key challenges currently facing the NHS are:
The Nuffield Trust (from this report) estimates that the ageing and growing population alone could mean we need another 17,000 hospital beds by 2022 — and that’s just hospital beds. The number of doctors, nurses, other staff and equipment all have to meet demand.
Current NHS issues are a common topic at medical school interviews – and you will often be asked your opinion on current news affecting the NHS. For example, you might be asked about:
You can find out more about these topics on our Medical Hot Topics 2016 page. Want to know how to approach these questions at a medical school interview? You can read detailed answer guides on our NHS Hot Topics Interview Question Bank.
See NHS Hot Topic Interview QuestionsEconomically, the NHS has always been a battleground, as governments fight to secure the future of the NHS whilst being cost-efficient.
One of the solutions is to move patient care out of hospitals and into clinics in GP surgeries and in the community. But this takes a toll on hospital incomes, driving more and more of them into debt. Some hospitals trusts have even been put into administration over the last few years.
Centralisation of services is one way the government tried to redress funding issues. But this means closing some local services like A&E and maternity units.
The current Conservative government has pledged an extra £8bn in funding by 2020, which is the minimum amount NHS England boss Simon Stevens says it will need in order to survive. They will also:
Medical health professionals probably know the NHS better than anyone, so their views are important in deciding how to address the challenges it faces. In the next section we will look at what it’s like to work for the NHS in today’s world.
It's essential that you keep up to date with 'hot topics' affecting the NHS. To get you started, here's an overview video covering A&E closures.
Want to know the kinds of questions you may be asked about the NHS at your interview and how to answer them? Find out here!
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