UK health economy

The state of the UK health economy restricts funds for health and social care services and a form of healthcare insurance or co-payment, as seen in the Netherlands, is introduced. People register with a local pharmacy and pay for pharmaceutical goods and services through a minimum basic insurance package. Patients and service users are treated as long-term clients and the expectations of the public increase as a result.

Proposed workforce impact

• The time burden generated by third-party payments imposes an additional administrative workload on pharmacists.
• Pharmacists require a good balance of scientific knowledge and softer skills e.g. communication.

Sources or references

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20585411
• http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-1616085/Economy-watch-How-long-Britains-recession-last.html

Additional research questions

• How likely is the development of a healthcare insurance scheme?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.