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UK healthcare system ranked "mediocre"

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France was announced as the most consumer-friendly healthcare system in Europe at a presentation in Brussels yesterday,
with a "technically efficient and generously providing" healthcare system.
 
It is the second year the European Health Consumer Index (EHCI) has been presented. This year the Index included an increased number of indicators, covering all 25 member states' health care systems including Switzerland. France won thanks to high level of access and service.
 
The report was compiled by the Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP), a centre for visions and action promoting consumer-related healthcare in Europe.
 

Report highlights

  • A mixed performance is shown by the UK, which wins out on healthcare information. The UK ranked 15th of the 26 European countries. The overall U.K. score is dragged down by waiting lists and uneven quality performance.
  • Slovenia and Estonia were rated as delivering excellent value for money to their citizens.
  • In southern Europe, Spain and Italy provide excellent healthcare services.
  • Netherlands and Sweden score high on openness and patients’ access to their own
    medical information.
  • Scores of countries, like Germany and France, suffer from what seems to be an expert-driven attitude to healthcare, where the patient access healthcare information with healthcare professionals as intermediaries rather than directly.
  • Belgium excels at accessibility, suffers on outcome quality.