Other aspect would be outsourcing departments under TUPE (originated in UK Goverment circa 1980 and adopted https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_Undertakings_(Prot... ) and not only transitions whole area's into the private sector, but is often overlooked. Under Blair whole area's got TUPED, one being IT, which got outsourced to ICL who then went on to be brought up by Fujitsu, as well as splitting up the NHS into trusts, opening up new private tendering. But many of these aspects only open up the NHS to added costs in the end and captive to quality. As any switching risks a whole new learning curve and it is an area of business that has more than it's fair share of quirks.

So short term you end up making the balance sheet look good thru initial savings, but over time the costs unfold and you end up pumping in more money than before and get worse results.

But lets focus upon the issues and solutions over which party is more to blame than others as all messed it up and then blames the others, achieving nothing.

How to fix it, supporting home grown talent and that means via education to become doctors and nurses, pay them a fair wage that reflects the mental aspect of the work and stress.

But one aspect is the lack of home knowledge upon medical needs and we find people these days taking up medical professionals time for minor aliments that easily dealt with.
So some form of health/first aid education being mandatory, would go a long way. Be you target at school, or even those with time, like unemployed. You could also offer incentives to staff and I'm sure a goverment could negotiate a countrywide dicount card that many a global chain will want to get behind to show there support for emotional PR with consumers. That saves staff money, ie 10% at Tesco's. Cost to run would be low and monetary value to employee's would add up nicely for them. Another way towards a rewarding wage.

Then planning for the future and with that, DNA sampling (bit big brother) but as and when aliments are adentified the daily check of the register would allow proactive medicine for so many and overall - save more than costs.

So many ways to address the issues, education to reduce the floods of patients and proactive investment for reduction and equally more manageable customer interactions.

I would also say that video consultation with doctors is something technology wise that needs some exploring as a way to reduce doctor appointments and it is those front lines that impact and have a knock on effect.

Only way to compare the NHS with other systems would be other countries with comparable health systems -Spain being closest of the few European countries operating non private healthcare.

But one whole avenue that bugs me about health care is that well of countries litery stripping lesser of countries of doctors and nurses to fulfill there needs and exacerbating the issues in such countries. That is so wrong on the scale it currently operates and only crates problems in the country with a shortage on so many levels that they become reduced to charity begging, and we pay and assist and feel all warm and fuzzy for all the good we do and yet, the asset stripping of resources that could of prevented such disasters always gets overlooked.

Health care is a human right, we should have a World health service, would solve more problems than just health. But that's me just being all StarTrek.