Per capita access to hospitals, mental health services, and further education facilities in German towns and cities β primarily in the former GDR β now outstrip equivalent areas in England, often several times over, according to research. This UBI would see a minimum level of public and private sector services covering everything from broadband to bus routes. The report, led by the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge , found that in , German towns, cities and regions have on average twice as many hospitals and pharmacies per , people as their English counterparts.
Places in Germany have over 11 times more mental health centres and practitioners, and eight times more further education providers, than equivalent parts of England, according to data. In , German areas also have twice as many railway stations per , people as matching English areas, although England averages almost four times more bus stops than Germany.
The report shows that areas such as Cambridge and Manchester have more healthcare facilities per , people, for example β as well as more banks, museums and restaurants β compared to areas such as Bolton, Rochdale and Stevenage. The availability of public transport, GP practices, hospitals, mental health care, police stations, banks, cash machines, post offices, primary and further education facilities, theatres, swimming pools, museums, shopping centres, and chemists have declined across almost all English areas analysed in the report.
All local authorities analysed in the report reduced at least one type of health service between and For example, Blackpool, Central Bedfordshire, Stevenage and Stoke-on-Trent all decreased their number of clinics, GP practices, hospitals, and dental treatment centres.
The number of police stations per capita fell in all places except Bolton, and the number of public parks and gardens reduced in four out of the five areas with data. Contrary to public perception, however, the number of libraries increased across most authorities in the report. The researchers point out that even rapidly expanding places in England are seeing social infrastructure go in the opposite direction β an impediment to desperately needed house-building.
