We are living fewer years in good health: Is the NHS part of the problem?
A report examines the decline in healthy life expectancy in the UK, with some patients seeking private care or moving abroad due to dissatisfaction with the NHS. The article contrasts the UK's free-at-point-of-use system with mixed public-private models like Bulgaria's.
Why it matters
The debate over NHS efficiency and the quality of chronic care is a critical issue for UK social policy and public health.
We are living fewer years in good health: Is the NHS part of the problem?
By Eleanor Lawrie Social affairs reporter Angie currently lives in the English Midlands but is preparing to move to Bulgaria. She has suffered for years from multiple chronic health issues including ME and an autoimmune thyroid condition. She says holidaying in Bulgaria has been transformative - enough that she has decided to leave the UK.
A strong sense of community and the fresh air of the Bulgarian mountains are part of the pull.
But she also feels the Bulgarian healthcare system is more responsive than the one she is leaving behind in the UK.
"You have to pay a small fee to see a doctor, but then you see one quickly," Angie says, describing her experience in Bulgaria.
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