tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post884173467477741354..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Dirty Hospitals Are a Result of False PrioritiesIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45323556170039665032007-10-25T18:02:00.000+01:002007-10-25T18:02:00.000+01:00Interesting Video on Common Purpose which includes...Interesting Video on Common Purpose which includes references to the Widescale corruption withion the NHS syphoning off the Nations wealth.<BR/><BR/>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3664960863576873594&hl=en-GBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-19523381763638707032007-10-24T22:41:00.000+01:002007-10-24T22:41:00.000+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dr Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08477211931539750338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-37580488062885066542007-10-24T22:38:00.000+01:002007-10-24T22:38:00.000+01:00http://www.drrant.net/2007/03/management-spaceship...http://www.drrant.net/2007/03/management-spaceship.html<BR/><BR/>The NHS would work better without its managers.Dr Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08477211931539750338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-22909195246554941372007-10-24T17:47:00.000+01:002007-10-24T17:47:00.000+01:00VerityUtter rot from beginning to end.Ugh.Where's ...Verity<BR/><BR/>Utter rot from beginning to end.<BR/><BR/>Ugh.<BR/><BR/>Where's your evidence that this Victorian approach is evere going to catch on?<BR/><BR/>We're not enslaved to socialism, or if we are, then so is David Cameron and the entirity of the sensible wing of his party.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-65279259354885629822007-10-24T15:32:00.000+01:002007-10-24T15:32:00.000+01:00Steve Roberts- Thanks for your excellent post. Ac...Steve Roberts- Thanks for your excellent post. Actually, if you read through the whole thread, you would see that I had already emphasized these particular points you make: <I>The way ahead should involve four insights: a) routine care to be paid for routinely by pay as you go or subscription b) disaster care to be paid for by insurance c) charitable funding to take care of those genuinely unable to pay for or insure themselves d) taking ownership and operation of services and facilities out of the hands of the state.</I> But it doesn't hurt to emphasize them again and again for the very naive British.<BR/><BR/>Leading me to Thomas Gordon's strong point that the British love the NHS until they go overseas and experience modern - not 1930s Soviet - health care. It shakes them, rather, as they've always been told that their filthy, creaking, incompetent, sloppy, trashy system is "the envy of the world". Those who experience health care overseas come home chastened.<BR/><BR/>Michael - Give me strength. <I> The Indian hospitals to which you refer represent a tiny part of the Indian Healthcare system. Presumably "health tourism" is what you were advocating.</I><BR/><BR/>Look. Short sentences, simple words. No one said the health system of India was advanced over the NHS. They are probably on a level. I said that their PRIVATE - this means "not state-owned" hospitals are the way forward in service and talent and patient service. They are so good that flinty-eyed American insurance companies pay out for treatment. Give me strength. There are people on this thread who are so protective of the NHS they lose their tiny reading comprehension abilities, presuming they have a few to see them through their daily life.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I know how the Singapore Health System works, thanks, having been a grateful recipient of it. Both public and private sectors are spotlessly clean and its employees are dedicated health care professionals. Nurses are nurses who want to care for the sick and recovering. If any hospital in Singapore had even two or three deaths due to filthiness lazy employees, that person would not only have resigned with terrible of face for himself and his entire family, but he would probably have to emigrate because he would never get a job - any job - in Singapore again.<BR/><BR/>Also, if I recall correctly, the trades unions pay for membership for their members. (I can't remember for sure.)<BR/><BR/>I was not making a case for the American system, but as the envious, viperish British can't see beyond the United States and how much they hate it, you bash it anyway. Just for the hell of it.<BR/><BR/><I>And the US government claims your assets upon death if the cost of your long-term medical care exceeds<BR/>the amount of your cover.</I> Why is this a bad idea? Why would the taxpayer be intersted in open-ended funding for healthcare for people he's never heard of?<BR/><BR/>Anonymous 10:12 writes <I>Relying on charity to cover costs will only work if the charities receive enough donations to cover costs! Of course they would not ..." </I><BR/>You know this, do you? The Victorians gave very generously to help the less fortunate. It was the imposition of the dead hand of socialism that dried up a lot of the private charitable foundations that throve in Britain previously. These days, how much money do people donate to save the dolphins or the polka-dotted water vole? The charitable instinct has not dried up.<BR/><BR/>Dr Fiona Kemp says we should accept that the NHS is ingrained in our psyche.<BR/><BR/>No. Nothing imposed by socialists is ingrained in my psyche. This is a communist construct and communism is dead.<BR/><BR/>Fiddling around with a dead system is never going to be productive.<BR/><BR/>Dump it and make insurance compulsory and insurance payments to the insurance company nominated by the wage-earner to be deducted at source, as is NI just now. The difference is, the payments would go to private companies chosen by the earner.<BR/><BR/>As mentioned before, people on welfare would also have healthcare payment deducted from their welfare cheques at source whether they liked it or not. I guarantee you that some enterprising insurance companies will set up healthcare schemes for non-productive wards of the state. And they'll be more efficient at dealing even with this end of the market than the NHS.<BR/><BR/>Yes, the French health service is extremely well-managed - the French are bloody good at grands projets - but it's still socialism and, in the way of all socialism, it is failing. People keep forgetting to mention this: The French system is going bankrupt and they are madly trying to shore up the dykes. But it won't work. There is no more money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-21041535508527111152007-10-24T15:28:00.000+01:002007-10-24T15:28:00.000+01:00cpr"find ways to meet the demands of modern taxpay...cpr<BR/>"find ways to meet the demands of modern taxpayers whilst retaining a degree of professional autonomy."<BR/><BR/>Couldn't agree more.<BR/><BR/>These ways can include absolving NHS managers from form-filling and from relentless exhortations to hit targets. Changes can also allow professionals in successful hospitals to be relieved more, say, than those in "basket case" hospitals, where more attention to detail is required.<BR/><BR/>One of the main areas of frustration is the "one target fits all" approach, and the false "given2 that every pund of taxpayers money needs to be scrutinised by a committee. I have no glib answers, apart from "don't hand it over to private companies", because when their efforts fail, it'll be impossible to regain it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-40753199616051982802007-10-24T14:14:00.000+01:002007-10-24T14:14:00.000+01:00Madasafish: you denounce targets, yet call for "au...Madasafish: you denounce targets, yet call for "audit". What would the auditors do when they found a trust that takes two years to carry out a hip replacement when the average across the NHS is one year or less? Do they say - no problem, it is not up to us to do anything about it - in which case what is the point of the audit? Or do they say to the trust in question that it needs to improve. In which case they have created a de facto target. The idea that you can measure something, audit it, but then not set targets is bonkers. Either you measure nothing, and everyone does what they want, or you measure stuff and act on the results - which means having targets.<BR/>Dr Fiona: You have a lot of good points but then say "health provision decisions be made by clinical staff". Many years ago that is what happened. But many years ago was an age of class, of deference, of accepting what we ordinary folk were given by the professionals. This can never work today, simply because in a modern deomcracy the people that pay (£90bn this year) are not going to accept having no say in what they get for their money. Politicians reflect this reality. The challenge is therefore for preofessionals in the NHS (and in other services such as education) to come to terms with consumerism (for want of a better word), accept it can't be rolled back, and find ways to meet the demands of modern taxpayers whilst retaining a degree of professional autonomy. This is hard, but the alternative - of harking back to a golden age when doctors ruled and politicians kenw their place - is a dead end.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33935887477239134712007-10-24T13:37:00.000+01:002007-10-24T13:37:00.000+01:00Dr KempI do wish you well, but I think you are mis...Dr Kemp<BR/><BR/>I do wish you well, but I think you are mistaken in some key points. <BR/><BR/><BR/>1. The NHS is not an end in itself, it is a means towards the end of wide availability of high quality healthcare. As an institution, it has to earn its keep by being effective, indeed more effective than any alternative.<BR/><BR/>2. Is reform - "we have to redesign it sensibly and not politically / Get the politicians out of the service" - possible ? <BR/><BR/>When Gerry Robinson was interviewed after his 'Can Gerry Save the NHS ?' TV show he told the NHS CEO that the politicians' involvement was at the heart of the problems he could not solve. The reply was that politicians were rightly and necessarily involved because it was money raised by taxes that funded the NHS. I conclude that as long as the NHS is tax-funded, the politicians will stay in charge. Obviously, as long as the politicians stay in charge, the NHS will fail in its purpose.<BR/><BR/>If I'm wrong, you would think that at some point in the last 60 years the politicians and bureaucrats would have come up with a way to make things work effectively; enough of them have tried, they have good intentions, and success would further everyone's career.<BR/><BR/>3. Primary care is indeed hugely important, but the assumption that continuity of care requires a State monopoly is incorrect. In most of continental Europe healthcare provision is a mixture of independent practices and partnerships, private and public companies, charitable trusts, mutual societies, trade unions, universities, etc. This does not prevent practitioners from ensuring continuity of care.<BR/><BR/>4. "Let health provision decisions be made by clinical staff at a county level using a set budget fairly distributed throughout the country." <BR/>This was actually the starting point in 1947 with the local health boards, the weaknesses soon became clear - How is the budget to be set ? Who has the last word on 'fairness' ? What is included and what is excluded ?. Those issues were crucial in the development of the bureaucracy we have today<BR/><BR/>5. " Focal local and allow innovation to thrive. "<BR/>Innovation thrives when there is free trade in capital goods - in other words when an innovative hospital (or GP) can generate enough capital and buy out other, less effective players. When all the players are state-owned, this is impossible. When there is no connection between performance and income, this is impossible. (Playing let's-pretend internal markets is no substitute.)Steve_Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09741170426828516479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-22780304912071845112007-10-24T11:00:00.000+01:002007-10-24T11:00:00.000+01:00I am devoted to the NHS, it trained me and I am pr...I am devoted to the NHS, it trained me and I am proud of the work I do. Quite simply I save lives because of it. Now lets stop squabbling about how we got into this unholy mess and lets start to do something about it.<BR/><BR/>Here we go... back to first principles....<BR/><BR/>Firstly;<BR/><BR/>Lets accept the NHS is ingrained in our psyche and as much as the business minded of you want to fracture it or abolish/privatise it this is is not an option, we have to redesign it sensibly and not politically because health services should be run by people who understand ill health and how it needs to be treated in a cost effective way.<BR/><BR/>Secondly:<BR/><BR/>Forget at your peril that primary care, ie your average GP, sees 91% of all health consultations in the UK and the gatekeeping role between primary and secondary care needs to be preserved at all costs. If you fracture this delicate ecosystem a wave of demand will hit hospitals the likes of which have never been seen before.Fracturing will come through privatisation because the best asset we have in the NHS is continuity of care and this makes us far more efficient and in the long run privatisation will cost more.<BR/><BR/>Thirdly:<BR/><BR/>Let health provision decisions be made by clinical staff at a county level using a set budget fairly distributed throughout the country.<BR/><BR/>Fourthly:<BR/><BR/>Focal local and allow innovation to thrive. We find administrative obstruction a nightmare, let us get on with running local services.<BR/>Get the politicians out of the service, make long term practical and not political decisions. Cut the clipboard staff, we dont need them they just create hassle.<BR/><BR/>Etc etc<BR/><BR/>I could moan on about all the daft managerial decisions I have seen in my lifetime and they would fill a book. But we have to be positive and move on. We own the NHS it is ours.We pay for it and have the right to say what we want. I have set up a Campaign for a Better NHS because I believe we the public, who are all consumers of this service, need to wake up, take some responsibility and get our voices heard.<BR/><BR/>We cant go on leaving it to politicians and 'other people' any more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-13680262129792360822007-10-24T10:02:00.000+01:002007-10-24T10:02:00.000+01:00Steve RobertsThe policy of reviving the role of Ma...Steve Roberts<BR/><BR/>The policy of reviving the role of Matrons was precisely what I was referring to when I suggested the empowerment of decent managers. People who face both ways, and can as easily tell their political masters where to get off as tell their staff to accompany a patient to the toilet.<BR/><BR/>It was implemented long ago, and only revently have they attempted to bring it back.<BR/><BR/>Relying on charity to cover costs will only work if the charities receive enough donations to cover costs! Of course they would not, and it would be the most vulnerable people who will suffer most.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33607128883532948802007-10-24T09:55:00.000+01:002007-10-24T09:55:00.000+01:00The Singapore Health system is funded by the tax-p...The Singapore Health system is funded by the tax-payer, similar to ours, and with a similar private sector.<BR/><BR/>The Indian hospitals to which you refer represent a tiny part of the Indian Healthcare system. Presumably "health tourism" is what you were advocating.<BR/><BR/>The public health service in India receives 0.9 of 1 percent of India GDP. Malaria and TB are rife.<BR/><BR/>The US system of funding is rife with unfairness - Insurance companies offer a range of products which get less and less affordable the more comprehenive they are.<BR/><BR/>And the US government claims your assets upon death if the cost of your long-term medical care exceeds<BR/>the amount of your cover.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-293280064671086092007-10-24T09:49:00.000+01:002007-10-24T09:49:00.000+01:00Anon 8:59After 60 years of twists and turns to mak...Anon 8:59<BR/>After 60 years of twists and turns to make the NHS work, if the key was as simple as 'empowering decent managers' , this would have been implemented long ago. When problems are so persistent across the decades and different governments, ministers and civil servants, the roots of the problems are systemic, in the nature of the organisation itself. The special characteristics of the NHS are: 1) It is a state monopoly with control over all physical and human resources. 2) Its income is derived entirely from taxation. 3) It offers services free of charge to everyone. <BR/><BR/>It is obvious that an open offer of free services leads to overutilisation and excessive costs. It is quite clear that the absolute separation between income and service provision prevents the system from improving itself. We all know now that state monopolies are a very bad way for any industry to be run - not least because their true purpose is diverted towards being the means by which politicans (and their bureaucratic hangers-on) develop and advance their careers.<BR/><BR/>The way ahead should involve four insights: a) routine care to be paid for routinely by pay as you go or subscription b) disaster care to be paid for by insurance c) charitable funding to take care of those genuinely unable to pay for or insure themselves d) taking ownership and operation of services and facilities out of the hands of the state.<BR/><BR/>Please note that this is not a proposal that we emulate the US. The US system has evolved differently and has in the process has acquired different problems which we do not need to import.Steve_Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09741170426828516479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-22325545396621449812007-10-24T09:09:00.000+01:002007-10-24T09:09:00.000+01:00verityThe problem we face on this argument is that...verity<BR/><BR/>The problem we face on this argument is that it has been hammered into them that the NHS's 'unique' funding is the only way to go when wanting decent schools and hospitals.<BR/><BR/>That is in the same way as the BBC's 'unique' funding makes it a rubbish broadcaster.<BR/><BR/>They love the NHS until they go to Spain,France,the Netherlands,Australia,New Zealand,Singapore or the US and get health treatment that is.<BR/><BR/>The NHS has NEVER been fit for task-people rave over it because they don't know any better.<BR/><BR/>This isn'tto say that the doctors and nurses arn't doing their best-its just the whole concept of healthcare in the UK is woeful.Thomas Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859845504555047310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32987916210450650482007-10-24T08:28:00.000+01:002007-10-24T08:28:00.000+01:00VerityYou really are a spoof Michael Moore advert,...Verity<BR/>You really are a spoof Michael Moore advert, aren't you? when I said "last century", I should have said 19th Century.<BR/><BR/>Simply batting away the NHS isn't going to work; suggesting your idea has support anywhere in the UK is nuts. Which political party has that as a policy? None of them does! Why? Because they klow people want a health service which is "free at the point of need".<BR/><BR/>re your ridiculous question :<BR/><BR/>"Why do you want the clenched fist of the government around your throats Are you mad?"<BR/><BR/>Stop being silly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-87599998432590839822007-10-24T02:39:00.000+01:002007-10-24T02:39:00.000+01:00"The NHS is one of the world's largest employers -...<I>"The NHS is one of the world's largest employers - second only to the Indian army, I read somewhere."</I><BR/><BR/>Nah. The NHS is the world's second biggest <I>civilian</I> employer, second only to the Indian <I>Railways</I>.<BR/><BR/>DKDevil's Kitchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13832949569501846730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-69134461837497730592007-10-24T00:49:00.000+01:002007-10-24T00:49:00.000+01:00Anonymous 11:54 who thought he had a killer putdow...Anonymous 11:54 who thought he had a killer putdown: "Very last Century I'm afraid. No-one agrees with you! Forget it. You are fantasising!"<BR/><BR/>No. You are.<BR/><BR/>You don't think British hospitals are going to be managed by the Indians within the next 25 years?<BR/><BR/>Glad you can get a curry in an NHS hospital. Made with halal-slaughtered meat, I'm sure. Just like school lunches given to normal British children whose parents contribute to animal charities.<BR/><BR/>Don't you understand this socialist government has taken over your lives?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-78385252058664990352007-10-24T00:28:00.000+01:002007-10-24T00:28:00.000+01:00Thomas Gordon - Yes, but I thought it was over 300...Thomas Gordon - <BR/>Yes, but I thought it was over 300 old people who had contracted the disease and died in Maidenhead and one other hospital alone? And now more examples of mass deaths from this filthy infection in other hospitals are coming to light?<BR/><BR/>Any American hospital that had one-tenth of that record would have been shut down - STAT! - and its administrators charged with manslaughter.<BR/><BR/>You write: "I was thinking of people people with serious conditions like Spina Bifida or other serious long term needs and conditions who will never be able to work."<BR/><BR/>Sorry, as we appear to be batting for the same side, but this comes down, in my opinion, to private charity. Kindly charities used to work before the socialists took over their role and made it compulsory. Although I do think most private hospitals have - or we could even legislate it - a requirement that they put aside a certain tiny percentage of their profits, to treat such cases as a condition of their licence. <BR/><BR/>These are things that can be worked out.<BR/><BR/>I can agree that the military should have their own health care under some MoD deal or other. Our fighting men should not be lying in filthy public wards where a suicidal nutjob could come in and harm them while they are helpless. God! What a way to thank those who are protecting us! (It's part of the socialist agenda to downgrade the military of our country, though.)<BR/><BR/>I take your point about pensioners. I think those who are struggling to live on their stipends should be given a break, but you are right. Many are financially sound, due to their own good judgement and partly due to the luck of the market, and they should pay their way through insurance. <BR/><BR/>"Shouldn't the health system be able to provide a 'cradle to the grave' provision as well?"<BR/><BR/>I don't know. It would depend what each private insurer was offering. But no: it shouldn't be legislated. If there's a gap, count on private companies to elbow each other out of the way to fill it. It's nothing to do with governments. <BR/><BR/>Michael 10:31 writes: "Verity, no-one in this country has the desire for an abandonment of the NHS in favour of a private USA style system." Really? Can I see the figures of your nationwide survey, please?<BR/><BR/>Second, did I suggest USA-style system? Hello? How about a Singapore-style system? <BR/><BR/>Why do you want the clenched fist of the government around your throats Are you mad?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1312569229081607872007-10-23T23:54:00.000+01:002007-10-23T23:54:00.000+01:00VerityVery last Century I'm afraid. No-one agrees ...Verity<BR/><BR/>Very last Century I'm afraid. No-one agrees with you! Forget it. You are fantasising!You can get a decent curry in our system - it's a good one which lacks enough top management techniques that's all.<BR/><BR/>Get over it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-75182124186665026592007-10-23T23:27:00.000+01:002007-10-23T23:27:00.000+01:00The government had a choice spend the money making...The government had a choice spend the money making the NHS run like a dream for the public, so becoming instantly redundant. Then lose the next election.<BR/><BR/>Or tax and spend and borrow and get on the never never as much extra staff with extra wages as humanly possible.<BR/><BR/>Thus inflating the economy and getting a large amount of the 'investment' back in Tax and NI contributions. With the all important bonus of hundreds of thousands of, happy for a while at least to vote Labour, brainwashed public slaves in marginal constituencies. <BR/><BR/>Then just simply tell the BBC to tell everyone it would be EVEN worse if the Blue Nasties were running things. Then win the next election.<BR/><BR/>I wonder which one they went for?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-52738131044042615452007-10-23T23:21:00.000+01:002007-10-23T23:21:00.000+01:00"They should have co-operated with the Tories 20 y..."They should have co-operated with the Tories 20 years ago to reform the NHS"<BR/><BR/>results suggest they were right to oppose the privatisation of hospital cleaning and are wrong not to reverse it.Even Howard admitted it was a Tory mistake when put on the spot during the 2005 general election, not that he had much choice mind...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1608155843089289112007-10-23T23:18:00.000+01:002007-10-23T23:18:00.000+01:00Anonymous 8:59: "My suggestion is simple - empowe...Anonymous 8:59: "My suggestion is simple - empower decent managers to face the DofH officials with proper reports ...". Oh, that would do it, would it?<BR/><BR/>"Empower" managers, as they have "empowered" nurses to the point where caring for sick and frightened people is beneath them? Anyway, I thought managers were already "empowered". Isn't that what a manager is? <BR/><BR/>You're fiddling while Rome burns. Every day more people who should have recovered and gone off to be tucked up in their own home with their family caring for them are never going home. How can you be so sanguine contemplating this unmanageable hydra?<BR/><BR/>The government has no business in the health care industry (or any other industry, come to that). That an ignorant, pretentious lout like Patricia Hewitt should have been in charge of the nation's health is an obscenity.<BR/><BR/>Let private hospitals and hospital management companies set up. If Tesco's wants to try its hand at hospital management - why not?<BR/><BR/>Let the owners of some of the big private hospitals in India buy some hospitals in England. Why not? They have a tremendous success rate - .04% better than the US for open heart surgery, for example. And you get a decent curry. <BR/> <BR/>Compare and contrast. <BR/><BR/>This idea is dead and gone and the Sovietesque concept should never have been implemented in capitalistic Britain. They slipped it in after the War.<BR/><BR/>Why are you clinging onto it?<BR/><BR/>(They're not even putting our wounded servicemen in private hospitals/wards. They're in open wards where suicidal islamic nutjobs posing as visitors can finish them off while they're helpless. This is beyond disgraceful. A country that doesn't even have hospitals for the military!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-57246650967875746562007-10-23T22:57:00.000+01:002007-10-23T22:57:00.000+01:00Anon @ 10:24 PMGood to see that you are advertisin...Anon @ 10:24 PM<BR/><BR/>Good to see that you are advertising an overwieght American who is about as correct in facts as found in Pravda.<BR/><BR/>And as far as I am aware I've yet to find any hospital that has killed ninty odd people in the United States,unlike the NHS.<BR/><BR/>No doubt he will be increasing his carbon footprint to fly over an tell us how 'evil' America is.Thomas Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859845504555047310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-25463673627979421872007-10-23T22:49:00.000+01:002007-10-23T22:49:00.000+01:00Verity"The only people entitled to treatment paid ...Verity<BR/><BR/>"The only people entitled to treatment paid for by the taxpayer should be OAPs and our military."<BR/><BR/>I was thinking of people people with serious conditions like Spina Bifida or other serious long term needs and conditions who will never be able to work.<BR/><BR/>The military would have their own health insurence system provided by the MoD.<BR/><BR/>That is what I mean 'basic healthcare legislation' and funded from general taxation-not for the 'workshy' who would have it deducted from benefit payment,but for those who will never be able to work due to their medical conditions.<BR/><BR/>The rest as you say in your post "coverage must be absolutely compulsory" is bang on the money.<BR/><BR/>But why exempt pensioners?I accept low income pensioners would need help (possibly from deductions from the state pension system)but why for the retired couple who have done well and have the means financially to do it?<BR/><BR/>Shouldn't the health system be able to provide a 'cradle to the grave' provision as well? Couldn't that be included in a package for the option for carehome treatment for OAP's or mental rest home for provision like the Netherlands?<BR/><BR/>Why burden the working age group with increased premiums when we have an older population who are just as much of a 'burden' (in fiscal terms) as any 'work shy scrounger'?<BR/><BR/>Total private insurence for all except the very needy-not just exemption for those of a certian demographic group.Thomas Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859845504555047310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-60541820665224866392007-10-23T22:31:00.000+01:002007-10-23T22:31:00.000+01:00NHS DOCTOR -Smacks of poor management to me.Verity...NHS DOCTOR -<BR/>Smacks of poor management to me.<BR/><BR/>Verity, no-one in this country has the desire for an abandonment of the NHS in favour of a private USA style system. "Free at the point of need" is the mantrea, and the public doesn't seem to mind the cost; we expect proper management and value for money, that's all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-40288847044336839892007-10-23T22:24:00.000+01:002007-10-23T22:24:00.000+01:00verity - Glad to see you have taken money from Mic...verity - Glad to see you have taken money from Michael Moore to be part of the 'spoof advertising' campaign for his wonderful new film 'Sicko' highlighting what a disaster the US 'healthcare' system is in, and how even ours in the UK is ten times better... <BR/><BR/>You are doing your work - SPLENDIDLY!<BR/><BR/>http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/trailer/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com