Professor Neil Craig writes for the British Medical Journal
The challenges facing the NHS will be made "inexorably" more difficult the longer UK economic and social policy continues to undermine funding for public services, concludes a new article for The British Medical Journal co-written by Professor Neil Craig.
Glasgow Caledonian's Professor of Public Health Economics has co-written with Gerry McCartney, of the University of Glasgow, a commentary piece on Audit Scotland's latest review of the country's health service. The authors state the report on the Scottish NHS makes for "sober reading".
The Audit Scotland report warns Scotland is unable to meet the growing demand for services and the increased pressure is having a direct impact on patient care.
It highlights costs rising due to inflation, higher utility costs, and pay and prescribing pressures; demand for services rising faster than activity post-pandemic; and operational challenges impacting on patient safety and experience.
The report concludes that, without reform, the future financial sustainability of NHS services is in doubt.
The commentary stresses the importance of prioritising prevention and highlights the pressures on the health system in managing need, demand and supply, in the face of worrying health trends: average life expectancy in Scotland stopped improving around 2012, like many high-income countries, and has worsened for people living in the most deprived areas, the analysis states.
The authors add: "The causes are well understood, austerity and its impacts on social security benefits and public service funding being the most important.
"Managing need, demand and supply will be made inexorably more difficult the longer UK economic and social policy continues to undermine funding for public services and social security."