United Kingdom Adults' Health Care System Views and Experiences, 2001

The Commonwealth Fund 2001 International Health Policy Survey finds that a majority of British citizens believe their nation.s health care system requires major reforms. Yet the survey also finds that the U.K. health care system effectively protects people against medical costs and provides ready access to care without regard to income. The United Kingdom stood out among the five nations surveyed—hich also included Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States—or the absence of income-related differences in health care access. At the same time, waiting times for care emerged as a central British concern.
This data brief based on The Commonwealth Fund 2001 International Health Policy Survey focuses on the health system views and experiences of adults in the United Kingdom. Comparative findings from the five-nation survey were reported in the May/June issue of Health Affairs. The data brief includes additional analysis of the survey that does not appear in the Health Affairs article.