NHS Winter Pressures

Did you know that if you have a medical emergency in the UK during the winter, the chances are you’ll have to wait for over 4 hours before being treated or admitted? The UK’s ‘winter pressure’ has been a growing problem for the country’s public healthcare system, and this trend will likely get worse. But don’t worry, there’s an answer.

In this article by Pacific Prime UK, we will tell you all about the UK’s NHS winter pressures, going through the essential facts all expats living in the UK need to know, as well as how you can minimize medical risks as the last winter of this decade approaches.

What’s the NHS

The National Health Service (NHS) has been both revolutionary and controversial throughout the decades. When it was founded back in 1948, it was the world’s first-ever universal healthcare system.

Today, the NHS’s legacy lives on, and for any expats currently holding residency in the UK, all public hospitals are free of charge. The NHS serves tens of thousands of British residents each day. On an average Wednesday in 2018, up to 56,000 people were admitted to public hospitals, not including outpatient visits and accident and emergency (A&E) visits without hospital admissions.

However, as Britain’s population ages, the demand on the NHS continues to increase, and queues at public hospitals can be painfully long each time you visit, making the option unsuitable for many expats living in the country.

NHS winter pressures

If you’ve just moved to the UK, you’ll have to be aware of the ‘winter pressures’. In the UK, the phrase ‘winter is coming’ takes on an entirely new meaning, as those working in the NHS scramble to prepare for the busiest months of the calendar year.

Queues at public hospitals become even more excruciatingly long during the winter season, as families rush to the hospital to get their flu jabs, while countless others are admitted to hospitals from serious winter-related accidents or illnesses. As a result, the pressure building up in UK public hospitals in this frosty season has become known as the ‘NHS winter pressures’.

Last year’s NHS winter pressures were considered the worst ever. This has led many to believe that hospital queues can be even longer during this year’s winter.

For instance, in October this year, less than three-quarters of people who visited A&E units in England were treated, admitted or transferred within 4 hours. Meanwhile, at the beginning of this year, nearly 25% of people with suspected cancer who were urgently referred for treatment did not start treatment within 62 days. This means that if you visit a public hospital for immediate cancer treatment, there’s a real chance you won’t receive the much-needed treatment until it’s already too late.

Another current problem with the NHS is getting dental appointments. A recent survey suggests that an estimated 1.45 million have tried and failed to get an NHS appointment in two years, while over 2 million reportedly assumed no dental care was available near where they live.

The winter pressures have led to many public outcries throughout the years, calling the NHS to improve its capabilities so that it can cope better in the winters to come.

Common illnesses in the winter

Despite the problems the NHS is facing, the UK is still one of the wealthiest and most developed countries in the world. So if you’re about to experience your first UK winter, the health-risks are not nearly as life-threatening as in many other developing countries.

Still, it is important that you get sufficient rest and maintain a healthy diet, as the following illnesses are particularly common in the UK during winter.

1. Common cold: As the name suggests, these colds are indeed, common. In the winter, however, they are widespread. Symptoms of the common cold include sore throat, blocked or runny nose, headaches, muscle aches, coughs and sneezes.

2. Flu: The flu shares many symptoms with the common cold, but in general, these symptoms are much worse. It can be a major killer of vulnerable people like small children and the elderly. The best way to prevent getting the flu during this winter is to get a flu jab as soon as possible.

3. Heart attacks: The cold weather increases your blood pressure and puts more strain on the heart. This increases the risk of a heart attack, especially for those that suffer from heart diseases.

4. Norovirus: Known as the infamous ‘winter vomiting bug’, the norovirus is an extremely infectious stomach disease. Its symptoms include nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.

5. Winter blues: Being one of the most common mental disorders that is prevalent during the dark and cold British winter, the winter blues are officially known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Its symptoms include, you guessed it, emotions associated with sadness. These include a persistent low mood, a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities, irritability, feeling of despair and worthlessness, craving carbohydrates and significant weight gain.

How expats can cope with the NHS winter pressures

The best way to cope with the NHS winter pressures is to stay healthy and not get ill in the first place. Remind your family, friends and of course, yourself, that as the temperature drops, extra measures will need to be taken to stay warm and protected from winter-related illnesses. This involves drinking more warm water, avoid staying outdoors for too long and wearing proper winter clothing.

However, despite following all the winter health tips, it’s not always possible to remain completely healthy during the winter. What do you do when you need to see a doctor but visiting public hospitals means waiting several hours for a checkup that lasts only a few minutes?

Luckily, there are private hospitals in the UK that offer better services, have better equipment, as well as having far shorter queues than the NHS. However, private hospitals in the UK can also be extremely expensive. This is why it’s important for expats living in the UK to secure an expat health insurance plan that covers these hefty medical bills.

To get the most cost-effective health insurance plan in the UK, you can talk to private health insurance experts like Pacific Prime UK. As a global health insurance broker, Pacific Prime works with the top international insurers in the UK to offer a wide range of plans that caters to your needs and budget.

Feel free to contact our team of experts who will be able to offer you professional, unbiased advice on finding the best health insurance in the UK, or visit our website for a no-obligation, free quote today!