Public Want NHS Decisions To Be Independent From Politicians
MPs and local councillors should not be involved in decisions about which treatments should be funded by the NHS, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos for the NHS Confederation. Only a small proportion of the public (9%) think MPs should be part of the decision making process. Even fewer people (6%) think local councillors should have a say.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most people (70%) think that clinicians such as doctors and nurses should be involved. Patient representatives are the second favourite (33%), followed by NHS managers (23%) and general public representatives (21%).
The survey also explored how decisions should be made about which treatments should or shouldn't be provided by local NHS organisations. The probability of the treatment being effective (50%) is considered the most relevant factor, followed by whether it will be used to treat a life threatening condition (38%) and whether or not there are cheaper and similarly effective treatments available (34%).
Topline Results
- Results are based on interviews with 969 people aged 15+ living in Great Britain
- Interviews were conducted in-home, face-to-face, between 7-12 December 2006
- Data are weighted to reflect the Great Britain population profile
- Where results do not sum to 100%, this is due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows / not stated
I would like to ask you a couple of questions about how decisions about NHS treatments and medicines should be made. The NHS cannot afford to provide all types of treatments or medicines to all patients and it often needs to make local decisions about what it can or cannot pay for.
Q1 In your opinion, which, if any, factors should influence decisions about whether or not treatments and medicines are provided by your local NHS trust for a particular patient or a group of patients? Please select all options that apply.
| % | |
|---|---|
| The probability of the treatment / medicine being effective | 50 |
| Whether or not the treatment / medicine is for a life threatening condition | 38 |
| Whether or not there are cheaper treatments / medicines available that are also effective | 34 |
| Whether lifestyle choices have contributed to the illness, e.g. smoking, obesity, alcohol | 28 |
| Whether or not the treatment / medicine is already being used to treat patients in other parts of the country | 27 |
| The cost of the treatment / medicine | 22 |
| Personal circumstances of the patients, e.g. age, number of dependents | 19 |
| Whether or not other treatments / medicines will have to be withdrawn from other people to allow enough funding for the treatment / medicine being discussed | 18 |
| How many other people in the local area are likely to need that treatment / medicine | 12 |
| Other | 2 |
| NHS should fund everything / all new medicines and treatments should be available | 8 |
| No decisions should be made locally -- they should all be made nationally | 2 |
| All of them | 2 |
| None of them | 3 |
| Don't know | 7 |
Q2 Which, if any, groups of people should make decisions about which medicines or treatments are funded by your local NHS? Please select all options that apply.
| % | |
|---|---|
| Clinicians working in the local NHS (e.g. doctors and nurses) | 70 |
| Patient representatives | 33 |
| Managers working in the local NHS | 23 |
| General public representatives | 21 |
| Members of Parliament | 9 |
| Local Councillors | 6 |
| Other | 1 |
| NHS should fund everything / all new medicines and treatments should be available | 6 |
| No decisions should be made locally -- they should all be made nationally | 2 |
| All of them | 1 |
| None of them | 2 |
| Don't know | 5 |
