Introduction
England’s medicine and healthcare sectors are rightfully considered one of the most developed and are at a high level. Notably, England is the only Western country where the responsibility for organizing medical care for the population lies almost entirely with the state. In addition, everything in healthcare works based on the National Health Service (NHS). It is no secret that medicine in England has its specifics and features that should be thoroughly studied. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the main aspects of the healthcare system in England.
Impact on Vulnerable Population
The health and well-being of the vulnerable population is a particular concern of the healthcare system in England. Regardless, the influence of medicine on the specific population group relies on many external and internal factors. NHS England is taking proactive action to slow down and reverse health problems in older people to provide high-quality care and individual support. (“Improving care for older people,” n.d.). However, the childcare system in England is not flawed but requires noticeable changes for the better, including introducing an integrated treatment since children’s health indicators leave much to be desired (Maile et al., 2022). Nevertheless, in England, special attention is paid to people with mental disorders within the framework of high costs for primary care and hospital services but with the lowest share of costs for psychiatric care (Ride et al., 2020). Therefore, the impact of medicine in England on the vulnerable population group depends mainly on the resource allocation system. This approach is not perfect because it can promote inequality. Some vulnerable groups may lack proper communication and information about prevention services and tools. This trend was especially noted during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Women’s Health and Maternal Child Health
It is known that the country has a women’s health strategy for England aimed at strengthening and restoring health, improving well-being, and preventing negative consequences on the organism of women. It focuses on women’s health because of such crises as the Ockenden Review, the actual data on women’s poor health, and the fact that information regarding women’s general health is poorly studied and requires separate consideration (Bagenal et al., 2022). Furthermore, today, maternal child health in the country acquires a unique medical and social significance. The National Health Service in England is particularly concerned about the health of mothers and their children, as this moment indicates the state and well-being of society as a whole. For example, a woman can receive free care during pregnancy and after childbirth. Thus, based on these circumstances, various centers are being created to carry out high-quality research and implement ideas and initiatives to improve the health and care of women and children.
Disease Management of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases
As practice shows, viral infections in England are seasonal; the most common are bacterial respiratory infections, and the most dangerous is HIV. Nevertheless, the NHS in England treats citizens qualitatively and free of charge, preventing the development of complications in patients in time. Moreover, the NHS in England offers to be vaccinated free of charge for adults and children against meningitis, mumps, measles, rubella, and other infectious diseases (“Protection against infectious diseases,” n.d.). In addition, the best practices of England show that the availability of harm reduction tools in key health programs has a positive effect in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Early detection of illnesses is part of the health system program in England, and local specialists demonstrate good care results for patients with NCDs. However, despite this circumstance, NCDs, unlike communicable diseases, are usually associated with the most common causes of morbidity and mortality (Knight et al., 2019). Current disease management of non-communicable diseases requires advancements and new approaches to protect public health.
The Theory and Practice of Health Promotion
The theory and practice of health promotion in England are related to providing resources to achieve a higher level of well-being for the country’s residents. In this case, health promotion is an opportunity for the government, communities, and individual citizens to solve and eradicate health problems. As a rule, health promotion is perceived as a process of empowerment in choosing healthy habits to achieve well-being and good quality of life. The country’s state policy makes it possible to realize a favorable environment and conditions for strengthening community actions and personal skills.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Factors that Affect Health and Illness
Human health and diseases in England are often influenced by broader determinants of health, such as social, economic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Behavioral factors affecting health and illness usually refer to actions a person commits at their discretion. Therefore, changing lifestyle or behavioral habits can eliminate or reduce such factors. Examples include smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of physical activity, and much more. Accordingly, the lifestyle that affects health and illness contains the main elements such as the work and rest regime, as well as the presence or absence of bad habits, personal hygiene, rational nutrition, and so on.
Conclusion
Summarizing the above, it is necessary to emphasize that the medicine of England has its characteristics, features, advantages, and disadvantages. Nevertheless, in general, England’s healthcare system is one of the leading in the world; it is innovative and advanced. The NHS in England makes every effort to provide free and high-quality care to citizens, regardless of population category. In addition, particular emphasis is expressed on improving the quality of maintenance, support, and care for women and their children and preventing the development and spread of infectious and non-communicable diseases. Medicine in England is based on the theory and practice of health promotion to maintain the health and well-being of the country’s nationals. In order to be healthy, it is crucial to keep in mind both behavioral factors and lifestyle.
References
Bagenal, J., Khanna, R., & Hawkes, S. (2022). Not misogynistic but myopic: The new women’s health strategy in England. The Lancet, 400(10363), 1568-1570. Web.
Improving care for older people. (n.d.). NHS England. Web.
Knight, J., Day, M., Mair-Jenkins, J., Bentley, C., Anderson, B., & Khaw, F. M. (2019). Responding to sustained poor outcomes in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs): An “incident control” approach is needed to improve and protect population health. BMC Public Health, 19(580), 1-6. Web.
Maile, E. J., Singh, R., Black, G. B., Blair, M., & Hargreaves, D. S. (2022). Back to the future? Lessons from the history of integrated child health services in England. Future Healthcare Journal, 9(2), 183. Web.
Protection against infectious diseases. (n.d.). GOV.UK. Web.
Ride, J., Kasteridis, P., Gutacker, N., Aragon Aragon, M. J., & Jacobs, R. (2020). Healthcare costs for people with serious mental illness in England: An analysis of costs across primary care, hospital care, and specialist mental healthcare. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 18, 177-188. Web.