Doctors from Airedale have been to Cuba to learn more about low-cost health-care.
A group of 11 GPs and registrars visited family doctors, clinics and hospitals in Havana and rural Pinar del Rio, where they reported that a high standard of care is provided despite a shortage of medicines and equipment.
Health spending in Cuba costs £7 per head compared to £1,020 in the UK yet life expectancy and infant death rates are similar. There are approximately 30,000 family doctors in both countries, but nearly four times as many practice nurses on the island.
A report on the visit said the Family Doctor Programme, established in 1984, was the key to Cuba's success.
The report said: "One family doctor and one nurse live among and care for a community of 500-700 people. They have an in-depth knowledge of the community they serve.
"There is a strong emphasis on health promotion, with the family unit seen as playing a major part. Since the introduction of the programme, the number of hospital admissions has fallen considerably."
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