The UK showed a stable rating in terms of health levels but lagged behind many countries when the 2009 Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) was presented in Brussels this week.

The annual survey of EU healthcare ranked the UK 14th out of 33 countries while the Netherlands lead the rankings for the second consecutive year with a record, followed by Denmark, last year’s runner-up, newcomer Iceland and Austria.

The UK scores 682 points from a potential 1,000 and ranks behind Ireland but ahead of Italy.

Dr Arne Björnberg, the Euro Health Consumer Index Director, said: “The UK in 2009 has showed surprisingly negative feedback from patient organisations on the waiting time situation, particularly after government spending on the NHS has been increasing heavily. It seems that management of the behemoth NHS organisation is difficult to do under a centralised paradigm.”

This years’ measurement indicates that the top performers in European healthcare start using healthcare information and choice to engage patients in the decision-making building a pressure from below for improvement, analysts suggest.

At the lower end of the ranking you find many countries stuck to old style healthcare, filled with hierarchies and lack of transparency. This gap challenges EU principles of equality and solidarity.

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