Wondering why the UK rates higher for illness and outcomes

[Irritatediron]

The UK rates higher than our european peers for chronic illness and has significantky worse outcomes for those with these illnesses.

Whats different here than in another european country.

We perform better than the US who is the leader on chronic illness but they have a substantially larger population and worse working conditions so im not surprised.

Wondering why we're more sick than our scandinavian peers. What can i do differently to improve my health - i do suffer with chronic illness.

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Part of it will be the same reason we don't feel with snow and ice the same way as say Sweden

We live in the edge of a temperate zone which can, and often does, feed the lurgy more than happens in other countries

Add to that all the other reasons you can imagine, some of which are also geographically induced, in part if not in whole...

Because it’s hard to get a dr appointment and when you do they gaslight you and fob you off. Then when you get referrals they are lost and take months. Then you get referred to different departments because there is not treating a person as a whole it’s treating this one symptom and not the ones they don’t fit their department. All the while your health deteriorates.

I have been passed about different departments all the while with worsening problems. For example I cannot empty my bladder without a catheter and urology say it’s a nerve issue and neurologist says no that’s urologist to sort. Back and forth while the little function I have deteriorated.
I just waited over 2 years for pain management appointment only to be told my scans showed I need to see the neurologist who has already seen the scans and won’t help me. So I’m back in that waiting list. Pain management just gave me opiates and tried to discharge me only referred me to physio when I said fine but write me something so I can give up work and claim disability.

my life is falling apart. I fall over. Can’t open jars. Can’t piss. Numbness. Pain. Now loosing my eyesight. Constant deteriorating. And every referral says well they don’t deal with x part of the issues so discharge me and refer me on. Half the time the referrals are rejected and I’m not fucking told.

I don’t know what’s wrong but if this was treatable/ stop progression and I could have kept more function then that’s the NHS fault. But of course I can’t moan because don’t I know the NHS is over Stretched?!! Really?! And I’m sure all these round and round appointments wasting my time and dr time and wrong prescriptions and the ultimate cost in benifits when I deteriorated so much I can’t work isn’t contributing to that?

it feels like the aim is to discharge/refer on a patient not to treat them.

Yep I agree-

I’d love to review what the chronic illnesses are for starters. Physical vs mental health.
One thing I noticed during my visit this week was the state of the sidewalks! Serious issues with uneven paving stones (fall and fracture risk). Decreased mobility for those using walkers/wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Garbage and bins everywhere, lots of little signs of deprivation, the condition of curtains which to me signals mental health problems.

Diet and exercise . Its pretty simple

Diet - our diet is generally a bit better than the US but worse than Europe

Stress - we work the longest hours in Europe

Obesity - the highest in Western Europe

Vit D deficiency

UK averages the third least exercise of the west European countries

There is a lot to be said about this. So many Women stretched thin, from working full time, and trying to raise a family at the same time. No wonder so many rely on ready prepared meals, upf's etc, which is ultimately to the detriment of themselves, and their families diet. Something has to give, but imo, the price is high.

I'm also wondering if other European countries have more extensive Covid/flu vaccination programmes, and/or take long Covid more seriously.

After reading the Health Trends report, fast access to a Dr. with quick follow up and treatment plan is most likely a big factor.

1. Social determinants of health including poverty and built environment, and for some things, issues like sexism and racism. Built environment includes many things, including access to leisure facilities, ability to walk or cycle rather than drive, and housing quality. The UK's housing standards are appalling.

2. Diet and exercise do matter but they are heavily driven by policy. See again: Poverty.

3. Lack of investment in healthcare and public health services. (You can see this specifically when you look at particular conditions and see that the UK has worse outcomes. In particular, lack of investment and provider shortages in primary care and maternity care.)

4. "Lifestyle choices" can only be viewed contextually. We like to pretend that people are choosing from an infinite menu but they are not. There are almost always reasons people do the things they do.

Italy focuses a lot on testing/prevention...e.g. you will get offered blood tests/swabs quite often at a drs appointment. This means they tend to catch things early. My friend in Spain says similar.