The NHS is relying more on charities - and that might be creating problems for patients

The distress of the man on the other end of the video call was clear to dementia specialist nurse Louise Burns. He was struggling to get his elderly mum, who had the condition, out of hospital - she needed support to move into her home.

Burns was able to put him at ease. She is part of a team running virtual clinics that support more than 100 patients and family members a week: "No matter what stage they are at, we try to help," she says. She explained the discharge process and where to go for help. The man's mother was soon back where she wanted to be.

Traditionally, a service like this would have been run by the National Health Service – but the clinic, which was set up during Covid and continued because of strong demand, is entirely funded by the charity Dementia UK.

The charity's chief nursing officer Paul Edwards says it is "trying to fill the gaps" within stretched NHS services. Burns adds: "The NHS and social care are under such huge pressure and dementia cases are rising - it's not always easy to get the support you need."

Dementia UK is just one of many charities working in the health sphere. From children's care to mental health and cancer services, charities are playing an increasingly important role in caring for patients.

Some - largely in England - have formal NHS contracts, while others work side-by-side with the health service across the UK, trying to provide additional support to patients in a way the NHS cannot.

A desire from governments of different parties from the 1990s onwards to develop a market of providers – NHS, private and voluntary sector – has meant the charity sector is now big business in health.

It's estimated that cancer charities alone raise more than £1bn a year, and the NHS in England spends nearly £2bn a year buying services from the not-for-profit and voluntary sector.

Kaynak: BBC News Health RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)