Study reveals inequalities in treatment between rich, poor in Britain's health care system

LONDON, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Britain's National Health Service (NHS) is celebrated around the country as a beacon of health care. However, an academic report says the NHS principle of "equal access for equal need" is not being upheld in England's emergency departments.

A study by academics at the University of Manchester said healthcare professionals might unconsciously assign lower clinical priority to patients from poorer areas compared to those from more affluent areas.

By analysing national data on patients arriving by ambulances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments at all major English hospitals, researchers found patients from more deprived areas waited longer to receive treatment and received less complex treatment than those from more affluent areas, even when presenting the same health conditions at the same hospital.

"The observed inequalities were present even when A&E departments were less crowded, indicating that inequalities aren't concentrated in periods when staff are under greater time pressure," the study concluded.

It is possible, said the researchers, that unconscious bias is why lower priority was given to patients from deprived areas.

The findings, published in the Journal of Health Economics, are the first to show evidence of income-related inequalities in access to timely and appropriate emergency care in England.