European healthcare rankings
New report that ranks the UK 13th for healthcare out of 31 European countries.
The Euro Health Consumer Index 2008 puts the Netherlands in first place, with the UK trailing behind countries including Estonia, France and Germany.
The study looked at areas such as patient rights and information, IT, waiting times, outcomes, the range and reach of services and access to new drugs.
The report’s authors found the UK performed well on patients’ rights and information, but unlike Denmark and the Netherlands there had not been improvement across the board.
Euro Health Consumer Index director Dr Arne Bjornberg said the UK risks “raising expectations that the healthcare system cannot deliver”.
