16 July 2017 - Britain has narrowly edged out Australia's health care system to take the coveted top spot in a global study which ranked the quality of healthcare systems based on 72 indicators.

The study, conducted by US think tank The Commonwealth Fund, compared the healthcare systems of 11 high-income countries to measure performance in five key domains: care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity and health care outcomes.

But experts warn a self-congratulatory pat on the back risks overlooking the reality faced by some of Australia's most vulnerable patients.

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