NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES Major achievements 1.Better medical care for all 2.Treatment available anywhere in UK from any doctor 3.High standard of treatment in hospitals 4.School medical services 5.Many new drugs discovered 6.Immunisation against diseases 7.Certain diseases e.g. TB, Polio brought under control 8.Deficiency diseases e.g. rickets more or less disappeared 9.Overall death rate fallen dramatically 10.Large drop in Infant Mortality rate 11.Maternal death rate fallen 12.Life expectancy risen 13.Progress in the treatment of mental health problems Problems 1.Cuts in spending, so cuts in services, staff and little new building prior to current PPPs. 2.A number of old inconvenient hospitals 3.Shortage of staff 4.Complaint of a lack of friendliness in hospitals due to overload of work 5.Lack of beds in hospitals 6.Waiting lists for operations e.g. hip replacements 7.Rising costs of drugs, services 8.Increase in the need for special units 9.Need for more specially trained staff 10.Shortage of hostels, clubs for mentally ill 11. Shortage of home nurses and health visitors for the elderly 12.Some medical advances not available to all e.g. kidney machines 13.Many feel they have to turn to private medicine