NHS at risk of ‘combusting’ due to patients with multiple illnesses

RADICAL changes to the NHS are needed to prevent it “combusting” as the number of patients with multiple health problems soars, doctors have warned.

They say the method of care provided by the health service is outdated and in some cases is even putting patients’ lives at risk.

The doctors say patients with more than one serious health problem should be provided with more joined-up care to reduce the amount of time they spend meeting health professionals, lessen transport costs and potentially cut the number of drugs they are prescribed.

The experts conducted a Scotland-wide study to determine how the rising prevalence of long-term health disorders are treated.

The study, which looked at the health records of a third of the country’s population, found many of the services used to manage multiple diseases in one individual were “duplicative and inefficient, burdensome and unsafe for patients because of poor co-ordination and integration”.

The report found the majority of Scots patients with two or more serious medical conditions are under the age of 65 – and doctors behind the study say this means health experts and the Scottish Government need to act now to radically change the way patients are treated.

Report co-author Bruce Guthrie, Professor of Primary Care Medicine at Dundee University, said: “The bottom line is if we don’t find a better way to treat patients as the population ages, the health service will simply grind to a halt and combust.

“Currently, medical research, the education of doctors and the organisation of care are all focused on single illnesses – you can see that from all the specialists in the NHS.

“Our study shows the number of people with multiple illnesses is growing and many of these patients are fairly young. This means we need health professionals who are generalists who oversee the overall care of patients and co-ordinate all of this.

“Care needs to be more person-centred than it is now, with patients seeing different doctors and specialists for each illness.

“More joined-up care would undoubtedly save time and money and be a much better use of the limited resources and funding available.

“It could also mean patients taking fewer drugs if the person overseeing their care looks at their overall health and determines they do not need every drug they are given for each single illness.”

The study, in the Lancet medical journal, found that a quarter of Scots have two or more illnesses – what it terms “multimorbidity”.

It found that people living in more deprived areas developed multiple illnesses an average of ten years earlier than those in more affluent areas. It also revealed that women were more likely to suffer multiple illnesses than men.

The team looked at the prevalence of 40 illnesses requiring long-term care.

The study also highlighted the need for longer GP consultations to tackle the increased complexity of patients’ medical needs.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are working in partnership with the NHS, primary care providers, patients and the research community so we have effective systems in place to address the needs of people with multiple health conditions and to reduce health inequalities.”