The cost of the UK's NHS has become a constant problem. Expenditure is spiralling out of control. Every year there is an NHS crisis - it cannot cope with patient demand. So each year more money is ploughed it. But regardless of how much additional is spent on the NHS it continues to be in crisis.
Nor is this just a British problem, it is a problem throughout the world, in every country where pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines dominate health services. It is, in other words, a problem throughout the world.
The Department of Health has released statistics about public spending on the NHS from 1948 (its inaugural year) to 2016 under 'Freedom of Information' laws. I have reproduced these statistics below.
One of the key principles of the NHS in 1948 was that it should provide "the best medicine available to everyone". There was an expectation that whilst this would be an expensive service in the early years (those following a crippling World War) health expenditure would soon reach a plateau, and that thereafter costs would gradually reduce.
This was not an unreasonable assumption. It was expected that there would be a back-log of ill-health and sickness to deal with, but if the NHS provided the "best medicine available for everyone" this would soon ensure that sick people got better, and once well they would be a reducing charge on the NHS.
The figures provided by the Department of Health shows that this optimism has never materialised.
The annual figures, and related graphs, are reproduced below. They show how the cost of the NHS has risen dramatically, astronomically year by year.
The graphs and figures demonstrates that the NHS has failed. And the reason for its failure has been that it has chosen to invest all its resources into one kind of medicine, conventional medicine, dominated as it is by pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines. These have not only fail to make us better, they are making us sicker. And the sicker we have become the more demand is placed on NHS services, and the more demands made for additional money. It has become a vicious, spiralling circle
These government statistics do not lie. My E-Book, "The Failure of Conventional Medicine" seeks to explain this failure in more detail, and why it is that we continue to demand more and more money for the NHS. The figures show that spending more money on the NHS is throwing more good money after bad.
They should be read keeping in mind the epidemic rise of chronic diseases, like cancer, dementia, autism, arthritis, diabetes, etc., during these same years.
NHS Spending - real terms (2015-2016 prices)
Nor is this just a British problem, it is a problem throughout the world, in every country where pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines dominate health services. It is, in other words, a problem throughout the world.
The Department of Health has released statistics about public spending on the NHS from 1948 (its inaugural year) to 2016 under 'Freedom of Information' laws. I have reproduced these statistics below.
One of the key principles of the NHS in 1948 was that it should provide "the best medicine available to everyone". There was an expectation that whilst this would be an expensive service in the early years (those following a crippling World War) health expenditure would soon reach a plateau, and that thereafter costs would gradually reduce.
This was not an unreasonable assumption. It was expected that there would be a back-log of ill-health and sickness to deal with, but if the NHS provided the "best medicine available for everyone" this would soon ensure that sick people got better, and once well they would be a reducing charge on the NHS.
The figures provided by the Department of Health shows that this optimism has never materialised.
The annual figures, and related graphs, are reproduced below. They show how the cost of the NHS has risen dramatically, astronomically year by year.
- In 1948 spending on the NHS was 0.08% of gross national product. In 2016 is was 7.2%
- In 1948 spending on the NHS per person was £5.20. In 2016 it was £2,138.40
The graphs and figures demonstrates that the NHS has failed. And the reason for its failure has been that it has chosen to invest all its resources into one kind of medicine, conventional medicine, dominated as it is by pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines. These have not only fail to make us better, they are making us sicker. And the sicker we have become the more demand is placed on NHS services, and the more demands made for additional money. It has become a vicious, spiralling circle
These government statistics do not lie. My E-Book, "The Failure of Conventional Medicine" seeks to explain this failure in more detail, and why it is that we continue to demand more and more money for the NHS. The figures show that spending more money on the NHS is throwing more good money after bad.
They should be read keeping in mind the epidemic rise of chronic diseases, like cancer, dementia, autism, arthritis, diabetes, etc., during these same years.
NHS Spending - real terms (2015-2016 prices)
NHS Spending, Population and GDP 1948 - 2016
|
||||||||
Year
|
Population (millions)
|
NHS Spending £bn
|
GDP £bn
|
Spending as % of GDP
|
Spending per person
|
% Population increase
|
% NHS Spending increase
|
% GDP increase
|
1948
|
49.659
|
0.26
|
345.31
|
0.08%
|
£5.24
|
|
|
|
1949
|
49.868
|
0.30
|
356.98
|
0.08%
|
£6.02
|
0.4%
|
15.4%
|
3.4%
|
1950
|
50.079
|
0.35
|
368.80
|
0.09%
|
£6.99
|
0.4%
|
16.7%
|
3.3%
|
1951
|
50.290
|
0.50
|
382.58
|
0.13%
|
£9.94
|
0.4%
|
42.9%
|
3.7%
|
1952
|
50.536
|
0.51
|
388.70
|
0.13%
|
£10.09
|
0.5%
|
2.0%
|
1.6%
|
1953
|
50.784
|
0.53
|
410.13
|
0.13%
|
£10.44
|
0.5%
|
3.9%
|
5.5%
|
1954
|
51.032
|
0.54
|
427.78
|
0.13%
|
£10.58
|
0.5%
|
1.9%
|
4.3%
|
1955
|
51.282
|
0.59
|
444.12
|
0.13%
|
£11.51
|
0.5%
|
9.3%
|
3.8%
|
1956
|
51.533
|
0.64
|
451.34
|
0.14%
|
£12.42
|
0.5%
|
8.5%
|
1.6%
|
1957
|
51.785
|
0.70
|
459.96
|
0.15%
|
£13.52
|
0.5%
|
9.4%
|
1.9%
|
1958
|
52.039
|
0.74
|
465.82
|
0.16%
|
£14.22
|
0.5%
|
5.7%
|
1.3%
|
1959
|
52.294
|
0.80
|
484.98
|
0.16%
|
£15.30
|
0.5%
|
8.1%
|
4.1%
|
1960
|
52.550
|
0.87
|
515.37
|
0.17%
|
£16.56
|
0.5%
|
8.7%
|
6.3%
|
1961
|
52.807
|
0.99
|
529.15
|
0.19%
|
£18.75
|
0.5%
|
13.8%
|
2.7%
|
1962
|
53.111
|
1.00
|
534.99
|
0.19%
|
£18.83
|
0.6%
|
1.0%
|
1.1%
|
1963
|
53.417
|
1.07
|
561.06
|
0.19%
|
£20.03
|
0.6%
|
7.0%
|
4.9%
|
1964
|
53.725
|
1.16
|
592.13
|
0.20%
|
£21.59
|
0.6%
|
8.4%
|
5.5%
|
1965
|
54.034
|
1.31
|
604.80
|
0.22%
|
£24.24
|
0.6%
|
12.9%
|
2.1%
|
1966
|
54.345
|
1.44
|
614.31
|
0.23%
|
£26.50
|
0.6%
|
9.9%
|
1.6%
|
1967
|
54.658
|
1.60
|
631.43
|
0.25%
|
£29.27
|
0.6%
|
11.1%
|
2.8%
|
1968
|
54.973
|
1.73
|
665.78
|
0.26%
|
£31.47
|
0.6%
|
8.1%
|
5.4%
|
1969
|
55.289
|
1.81
|
678.59
|
0.27%
|
£32.74
|
0.6%
|
4.6%
|
1.9%
|
1970
|
55.608
|
2.08
|
696.97
|
0.30%
|
£37.40
|
0.6%
|
14.9%
|
2.7%
|
1971
|
55.928
|
2.36
|
721.26
|
0.33%
|
£42.20
|
0.6%
|
13.5%
|
3.5%
|
1972
|
55.970
|
2.66
|
752.28
|
0.35%
|
£47.53
|
0.1%
|
12.7%
|
4.3%
|
1973
|
56.013
|
3.02
|
801.25
|
0.38%
|
£53.92
|
0.1%
|
13.5%
|
6.5%
|
1974
|
56.055
|
3.94
|
781.51
|
0.50%
|
£70.29
|
0.1%
|
30.5%
|
-2.5%
|
1975
|
56.097
|
5.27
|
769.95
|
0.68%
|
£93.94
|
0.1%
|
33.8%
|
-1.5%
|
1976
|
56.140
|
6.22
|
792.36
|
0.79%
|
£110.79
|
0.1%
|
18.0%
|
2.9%
|
1977
|
56.182
|
6.91
|
811.71
|
0.85%
|
£122.99
|
0.1%
|
11.1%
|
2.4%
|
1978
|
56.225
|
7.89
|
845.82
|
0.93%
|
£140.33
|
0.1%
|
14.2%
|
4.2%
|
1979
|
56.267
|
9.10
|
877.47
|
1.04%
|
£161.73
|
0.1%
|
15.3%
|
3.7%
|
1980
|
56.310
|
11.79
|
859.67
|
1.37%
|
£209.38
|
0.1%
|
29.6%
|
-2.0%
|
1981
|
56.358
|
13.42
|
853.05
|
1.57%
|
£238.12
|
0.1%
|
13.8%
|
-0.8%
|
1982
|
56.465
|
14.38
|
870.20
|
1.65%
|
£254.67
|
0.2%
|
7.2%
|
2.0%
|
1983
|
56.572
|
14.50
|
906.94
|
1.60%
|
£256.31
|
0.2%
|
0.8%
|
4.2%
|
1984
|
56.680
|
15.40
|
927.58
|
1.66%
|
£271.70
|
0.2%
|
6.2%
|
2.3%
|
1985
|
56.788
|
16.50
|
966.50
|
1.71%
|
£290.55
|
0.2%
|
7.1%
|
4.2%
|
1986
|
56.896
|
17.50
|
996.69
|
1.76%
|
£307.58
|
0.2%
|
6.1%
|
3.1%
|
1987
|
57.004
|
18.70
|
1,049.58
|
1.78%
|
£328.05
|
0.2%
|
6.9%
|
5.3%
|
1988
|
57.112
|
20.50
|
1,109.91
|
1.85%
|
£358.94
|
0.2%
|
9.6%
|
5.7%
|
1989
|
57.221
|
22.60
|
1,138.43
|
1.99%
|
£394.96
|
0.2%
|
10.2%
|
2.6%
|
1990
|
57.330
|
24.50
|
1,146.76
|
2.14%
|
£427.35
|
0.2%
|
8.4%
|
0.7%
|
1991
|
57.439
|
27.50
|
1,134.30
|
2.42%
|
£478.77
|
0.2%
|
12.2%
|
-1.1%
|
1992
|
57.604
|
31.20
|
1,138.54
|
2.74%
|
£541.63
|
0.3%
|
13.5%
|
0.4%
|
1993
|
57.770
|
35.02
|
1,167.31
|
3.00%
|
£606.20
|
0.3%
|
12.2%
|
2.5%
|
1994
|
57.936
|
37.01
|
1,212.60
|
3.05%
|
£638.81
|
0.3%
|
5.7%
|
3.9%
|
1995
|
58.103
|
40.49
|
1,242.55
|
3.26%
|
£696.87
|
0.3%
|
9.4%
|
2.5%
|
1996
|
58.270
|
39.66
|
1,274.09
|
3.11%
|
£680.62
|
0.3%
|
-2.0%
|
2.5%
|
1997
|
58.438
|
41.34
|
1,325.54
|
3.12%
|
£707.42
|
0.3%
|
4.2%
|
4.0%
|
1998
|
58.606
|
43.15
|
1,367.14
|
3.16%
|
£736.27
|
0.3%
|
4.4%
|
3.1%
|
1999
|
58.775
|
47.02
|
1,411.11
|
3.33%
|
£800.00
|
0.3%
|
9.0%
|
3.2%
|
2000
|
58.944
|
49.57
|
1,462.82
|
3.39%
|
£840.97
|
0.3%
|
5.4%
|
3.7%
|
2001
|
59.114
|
54.34
|
1,500.03
|
3.62%
|
£919.24
|
0.3%
|
9.6%
|
2.5%
|
2002
|
59.455
|
59.93
|
1,536.90
|
3.90%
|
£1,007.99
|
0.6%
|
10.3%
|
2.5%
|
2003
|
59.799
|
66.20
|
1,588.02
|
4.17%
|
£1,107.04
|
0.6%
|
10.5%
|
3.3%
|
2004
|
60.145
|
74.92
|
1,625.57
|
4.61%
|
£1,245.66
|
0.6%
|
13.2%
|
2.4%
|
2005
|
60.493
|
82.93
|
1,675.90
|
4.95%
|
£1,370.90
|
0.6%
|
10.7%
|
3.1%
|
2006
|
60.843
|
89.58
|
1,717.06
|
5.22%
|
£1,472.31
|
0.6%
|
8.0%
|
2.5%
|
2007
|
61.194
|
94.69
|
1,757.52
|
5.39%
|
£1,547.37
|
0.6%
|
5.7%
|
2.4%
|
2008
|
61.548
|
102.34
|
1,749.22
|
5.85%
|
£1,662.77
|
0.6%
|
8.1%
|
-0.5%
|
2009
|
61.904
|
108.75
|
1,675.96
|
6.49%
|
£1,756.75
|
0.6%
|
6.3%
|
-4.2%
|
2010
|
62.262
|
116.92
|
1,704.36
|
6.86%
|
£1,877.87
|
0.6%
|
7.5%
|
1.7%
|
2011
|
62.649
|
119.83
|
1,729.12
|
6.93%
|
£1,912.72
|
0.6%
|
2.5%
|
1.5%
|
2012
|
63.067
|
121.25
|
1,754.74
|
6.91%
|
£1,922.56
|
0.7%
|
1.2%
|
1.5%
|
2013
|
63.488
|
124.30
|
1,790.75
|
6.94%
|
£1,957.85
|
0.7%
|
2.5%
|
2.1%
|
2014
|
63.912
|
129.39
|
1,845.44
|
7.01%
|
£2,024.50
|
0.7%
|
4.1%
|
3.1%
|
2015
|
64.338
|
134.05
|
1,888.74
|
7.10%
|
£2,083.53
|
0.7%
|
3.6%
|
2.3%
|
2016
|
64.768
|
138.50
|
1,922.63
|
7.20%
|
£2,138.40
|
0.7%
|
3.3%
|
1.8%
|
Increase
|
15.109
|
138.24
|
1,577.32
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NB. 2002
|
Increase
|
|
%
|
30.43%
|
53,169.23%
|
456.78%
|
9567.36%
|
40842.65%
|
|
via NI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pop. Incr. from 1948-2016 - 15,109Million people - 30.4% |
|
|
|
|||||
NHS Spend Incr.from 1948-2016 £138.24Bn - 53169.2%. |
|
|
|
|||||
Increase in GDP from1948-2016 - £1577.32Bn - 456.78% |
|
|
|
|||||
Increase Spend Individual 1948-2016 - 40842.6% |
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http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1940_2000UKb_17c1li111mcn_10t
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