UK’s healthcare plummets on global efficiency tables

Healthcare analysts said the findings took no account of quality of life, meaning that healthcare systems which provided treatment such as cataract operations or mental healthcare fared better than those which only funded the basics.

The research does not take account of the lifestyles of populations, which affect the levels of pressure on services.

But the stark change in Britain’s position means it has fallen to the bottom half of the tables, dropping behind countries including Algeria  Portugal and the Czech republic.

It also remains behind countries including Mexico and Chile and Algeria, with Slovakia and Peru as its closest peers.

The healthcare efficiency index ranks countries with an average lifespan of at least 70 years, GDP per-capita exceeding $5,000 and a minimum population of 5 million.

The US came second worst on the index – with 16.8 per cent of GDP spent on health – $9,536  (£7,284) a year – and an average life expectancy of 78.7 years.

John Appleby, chief economist at the Nuffield Trust said the analysis took no account of quality of life.

“That is not a very good measure of what health care systems are achieving, so it’s not clear that this tells us much about the NHS. Diet, smoking rates, standards of living and public services more generally will all have a powerful effect on life expectancy. On the other hand, many of the most common and important operations carried out, like cataract procedures to save eyesight, wouldn’t have any effect on lifespan,” he said.