ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disrupted healthcare systems and medical care worldwide. This study attempts to assess the performance of three Saudi hospitals during COVID-19 by comparing waiting times for outpatient appointments and the volume of elective surgeries before and after COVID-19.MethodsWe used ADA’A data collected from three Saudi hospitals for this retrospective cohort study. The outcome variables were “Waiting Time for Appointment” and “Elective OR Utilization”. The hospitals included in this study were: a 300-bed maternity and children’s hospital; a 643-bed general hospital; and a 1230-bed tertiary hospital. We included all patients who visited the OPD and OR in the time period from September 2019 to December 2021. A two-way ANOVA test was used to examine the differences in the outcome variables by hospital and by the phase of COVID-19.ResultsFor the elective OR utilization rate, the results showed that both the hospital and the phase of COVID-19 were significantly different (p-value < 0.05). On average, the elective OR utilization rate dipped considerably in the early phase of COVID-19 (33.2% vs 44.9%) and jumped sharply in the later phase (50.3%). The results showed that the waiting time for OPD appointment was significantly different across hospitals and before and after COVID-19 in each hospital (p-value < 0.05). the waiting time dropped during the early phase of COVID-19 for both the general hospital (GEN) (24.6 days vs 34.8 days) and the tertiary hospital (MDC) (40.3 days vs 48.6 days), while the maternity and children’s hospital (MCH)’s score deteriorated sharply (24.6 days vs 9.5 days).ConclusionThis study indicates that COVID-19 led to a significant impact on elective surgery rates and waiting time for OPD appointments in the early stage of the pandemic when the lockdown strategy was implemented in the country. Although the elective surgery rate had decreased at the designated COVID-hospital, the waiting time for OPD appointment had improved. This is a clear indication that the careful planning and management of resources for essential services during pandemic was effective.

Healthcare spending in the United Kingdom (UK) in both sectors has increased since 1997, although spending in the public sector has increased at a faster rate. By 2018, public healthcare expenditure in the UK stood at to 149.5 billion British pounds, compared to 34.5 billion British pounds in the private sector.

Health expenditure in the UK compared to Europe 

In 2019, the UK spent just over ten percent of its GDP on healthcare. In comparison to other European countries, this ranked the UK seventh in terms of health expenditure in 2019. Top of the list was Switzerland, which spent 12.1 percent of its’ GDP on healthcare in this year.  

Performance of the public health sector in UK 

The majority of people questioned in a survey in the UK, regard the NHS as a world class health service and remain happy with the high level of care provided by the organization. Although waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.   

Table of INEBase Excessive delay or inaccessibility of health care due to the waiting list in the last 12 months by sex, country of birth and age group. Population aged 15 years old and over. National. European Health Survey

Healthcare spending in the United Kingdom (UK) as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) has increased since 1990, when it was 5.1 percent. By 2024, healthcare expenditure in the UK amounted to 11.1 percent of the GDP. Health expenditure in the UK compared to Europe  In comparison to other European countries in 2023, the UK ranked fifth highest in terms of healthcare spending as a share of the GDP. Top of the list was Germany, which spent 12.3 percent of its GDP on healthcare in this year. This was followed by Austria and Switzerland, which spent 11.8 percent and 11.7 percent on health, respectively. Performance of the NHS in the UK Waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.   

European Health Survey: Excessive delay or inaccessibility of health care due to the waiting list in the last 12 months by sex, country of birth and age group. Population aged 15 years old and over. National.

The pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) combined clinical and organisational audit report is the second report published post launch of continuous data collection on 1 March 2019.

The report presents information on:

• over 12,000 patients who were assessed for pulmonary rehabilitation between 1 June – 30 November 2019, and
• the structure and organisational of PR services between July and September 2019.

Data includes national and country level performance:

• for key clinical process measures such as waiting times for PR, initially assessments and walking tests, discharge assessments and completion rates for PR. In addition, data on outcomes measures for improvements in exercise capacity and health status are also presented, and
• on organisational factors such as service provision (education sessions, written exercise plans etc) and staff levels.

In 2021, government expenditure on health in Thailand amounted to approximately ***** billion Thai baht, a significant increase from the previous year. Throughout the examined period, the government's health expenditure has been on the rise. Government spending in Thailand Government spending in Thailand has gradually increased recently. As of 2022, the government of Thailand spent at least *** trillion Thai baht or around *** million U.S. dollars across different sectors. Most of the spending is distributed to civil administration organizations, private businesses, and corporations to boost economic activity. Additionally, most of these expenditures are focused on Bangkok and nearby metropolitan areas, since there is a high concentration of corporations and small-medium enterprises within these regions. Thailand’s healthcare system   The healthcare sector is the*******leading sector with the highest government expenditure, following the education and social work sector. The Ministry of Public Health oversees three central healthcare schemes in Thailand: the civil service welfare sector, social security for private employees, and a universal coverage scheme. Although the healthcare system is diversified for citizens of all socioeconomic statuses, there are still challenges regarding the quality of medical services provided by public hospitals. Patients under these schemes often experience longer waiting times and occasionally subpar medical assistance due to the high number of patients. Hence, a considerable number of individuals opt to pay a higher fee for healthcare services rendered by private hospitals, thereby contributing to the anticipated continuous rise in healthcare expenditure per capita in the country.

Trends of ANC provision and availability of essential medications before and during COVID-19 at public hospitals in the Sidama region, March 2019—August 2020.