The end of free treatment from the NHS.

[Staunton]

...you're not going to change my mind if you can't back up what you're saying.

 

We could engage in endless scrutiny of figures, but that is not going to help. If you are reliant upon the NHS, then please do take a close look at what is happening. The general circumstances are constantly being discussed in the mainstream media. Over the last thirty years the NHS has been subjected to endless change - ludicrous target-driven policies, market style internal competitive practices, dramatic manegerial increases, endless restructuring and political interference. These have all diverted financial resources from the core service of the NHS, weakened it structurally and discredited it as an institution. But this is no reason to deliver it into the hands of the profit hungry private sector.

 

If you are in a position to provide private healthcare for yourself and your family, then I would urge you to demonstrate some compassion for the millions who are under severe financial pressure here in the UK, who cannot afford further costs as their wages diminish, inflation continues to rise, or redundancy leaves them dependent on benefits.

 

And if you, or anyone in your family is a taxpayer, then you should be very concerned that the public sector is rapidly being transferred into private hands. This is being done on the pretense of efficiency, but the corporate sector has no interest in providing services. Their only interest is profit. There will be no reduction in taxes for ordinary people as a result of these transformations. Neoliberalism is dependent upon the state, that is, dependent upon taxpayers money, to provide the infrastructure (roads, pavements), the security (police, military) and the insurance (as we have seen over the last 5 years for example, with public money propping up banks). Ordinary people foot the bill, and the corporate executives and their political supporters enjoy power, wealth and privilege.

 

The NHS has been funded by the taxpayer for 65 years. It was established during a time of real austerity in the aftermath of World War 2. But it is now being dismantled, transformed into a business, a business that will have an endless claim on taxpayers money, a business that attracts the multinationals - those very companies who have been exposed as tax cheats, and there is now a rising chorus of demands for charges for treatment in our once public service.

[Mr Bloom]

Is that why Labour went all out for PFI? about £70 billion worth wasn't it? Just in the NHS..

 

Yes, and shame on them for it.

[Peer Gynt]

New labour were almost as energetic in the project to privatise the NHS as the tories.

You mean under Tory Blair.

[alchresearch]

We could engage in endless scrutiny of figures, but that is not going to help.

 

It would help your argument. All your posts are speculation, hearsay and biased scenarios to fit your point of view.

[Mecky]

It would help your argument. All your posts are speculation, hearsay and biased scenarios to fit your point of view.

 

Likewise I'm sure, statistics can mean whatever anyone want them to mean.

[Rupert_Baehr]

I don't want to start a new thread just for this 'heads up' and since ultimately it's the NHS which picks up the bill, I'm arguably not too far off topic, but:

 

My local newspaper carried an article this morning about holidaymakers to Spain and medical treatment.

 

It appears that some Doctors, Hospitals and other healthcare providers in Spain are refusing to accept European Health Cards (those issued by any other EU state) and are treating tourists who get sick as private patients.

 

If you don't have travel insurance which covers medical bills, you will need deep (and well-filled) pockets, because you will be expected to pay cash.

 

I wonder whether the Spanish government is submitting the bills to the appropriate member state, taking the money and not passing it on to the doctors?

[Staunton]

It would help your argument. All your posts are speculation, hearsay and biased scenarios to fit your point of view.

 

What have been presented are straightforward facts, the NHS has been opened up for privatisation - it's already happened. This thread was initiated in order to alert people that there is now pressure for the introduction of charges for treatment from the NHS. There is no need to allow this debate to descend into claim and counter claim about complex secondary issues.

 

The NHS has become a tax grab for the profiteering multinationals - public money (ordinary people's taxes) being transferred into private (tax avoider) pockets.

 

And now they want people to pay twice - once via their taxes and then again at the point of delivery.

 

This issue is of direct consequence for everyone who is dependent upon the NHS for their health needs, for all who cannot afford private healthcare for themselves and their loved ones.

[alchresearch]

Then you won't mind providing links to show it then. That's all I've asked for at least three times.

[altus]

I don't want to start a new thread just for this 'heads up' and since ultimately it's the NHS which picks up the bill, I'm arguably not too far off topic, but:

 

My local newspaper carried an article this morning about holidaymakers to Spain and medical treatment.

 

It appears that some Doctors, Hospitals and other healthcare providers in Spain are refusing to accept European Health Cards (those issued by any other EU state) and are treating tourists who get sick as private patients.

 

If you don't have travel insurance which covers medical bills, you will need deep (and well-filled) pockets, because you will be expected to pay cash.

 

I wonder whether the Spanish government is submitting the bills to the appropriate member state, taking the money and not passing it on to the doctors?

 

I saw something about that on the TV a few weeks ago. It's not so much that the Spanish hospitals don't get paid so much as it takes ages for the governments to process all the paperwork and hand over the money. It's much quicker for the hospitals to get patients/insurance companies to pay. Think cash flow rather than no payment.

[Anna B]

Haven't pharma companies always made money from the NHS? Do you think the gov. should research and develop new drugs..?

 

In a word, yes. Drug companies have a reputation for ripping people off. But as with most things, this country does not invest enough into development of anything.

 

Baring in mind that pharma companies produce drugs under licence, I've often wondered why we don't at least analyse a drug for its component parts, add something to it, and rebrand it as our own generic version.

 

While I'm at it, can I just remind people that the NHS is not, and never has been, free. It migt be free at the point of delivery, but we pay for it out of our taxes week in week out. Personally I'd rather do that than pay a privatised company, but I do want the money to be spent well and not wasted.