International survey of frontline doctors rates NHS top for specialist waiting times.

The Commonwealth Fund survey of frontline doctors in 11 countries, including the USA, Netherlands, Germany and Australia, ranked the UK as 1^st in short waiting times for specialist care and quality of clinical care.

The Government guarantees that anyone with suspected cancer will see a specialist within two weeks and has pledged to introduce a new right to cancer diagnostic tests, with results, within one week.

Michael Foster MP said:
"This is fantastic news for the NHS and a worthy recognition of the professionalism of NHS staff at the Conquest and across the UK.

"It is the Government investment that has put the NHS in the strong position the Commonwealth Fund shows it is in today. You are guaranteed to see a specialist within two weeks if your GP suspects you have cancer, and we have now pledged diagnosis within one week if you are tested for cancer. 

“But David Cameron's Tories want to scrap Labour's patient guarantees. When they say they want to get rid of ‘targets’ that means they want to get rid of the two week guarantee. I don’t see how that will improve the NHS.

"David Cameron has already broken a 'cast-iron guarantee' on Europe. The Tories' so-called 'cast-iron commitment' to the health service now looks equally rusty.

"The experts' judgement is telling - NHS policies are working. The Tories' policies would put patients at risk."

Ends

Editor's notes:

1.                             The Commonwealth Fund surveyed frontline doctors in 11 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Commonwealth Fund surveyed frontline doctors in 11 countries and ranked the NHS best in:
- short waiting times for specialist care
- quality of clinical care
- management of chronic diseases
- reviewing doctor's clinical performance
- benchmarking of clinical performance
- use of financial incentives to reward patient experience