BBC 2 programme - Hospital

[sjamesb3466]

for the sake of debate, why would privatised healthcare be a crime? we have very good private health already established, and on the continent too. so what is the objection to private health care, is it a perception that it wouldn't be available to everyone (can be legislated for) or that someone might "profit" (people already do in current model, and you can have not-for-profit, mutually owned groups etc)?

are we going to insist on one model for the sake of principle even if other models might provide better service?

If you look a countries like the US that have an amazing quality of private healthcare however 33 million people in the most advanced (economically) country in the world either can't afford or have been refused health insurance. This means that if you get ill and it is not life threatening/urgent medical attention then you will simply go without. Read http://familiesusa.org/sites/default/files/product_documents/Dying-for-Coverage.pdf and see how 130,000 people in the US died between 2005-2010 specifically because of lack of health insurance.

I am not a cretin and understand that there are many models of privatised medicine however I simply do not agree with a state handing over control of areas of vital national importance over to anyone over the government. There are major challenges in the NHS and I would not even begin to suggest that it is perfect. There is too much bureaucracy, too many middle manager types, too many middle aged (a generalisation but widely accurate) admin staff that bumble around all day in the knowledge that they have a job for life and that the only way they will be out of work is to die. I have no problem with paying private sector wages to ensure that the health service is run as professionally and efficiently as possible but to hand the power over makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Two areas of the health service over the last decade that have been widely criticised have been the standard of food and cleanliness. These have already been privatised and therefore the cost of making the meals as nutritious as possible and keeping the bare minimum of cleaners on wards to meet acceptable standards are now being made by companies profiting from our suffering. Many may disagree and I totally respect anyone's opposing opinion however it personally makes me sick to my stomach (ironic?).

 

[lawros left foot]

I wish I could give the above post more than one thumbs up

 

[Hastings gull]

If you look a countries like the US that have an amazing quality of private healthcare however 33 million people in the most advanced (economically) country in the world either can't afford or have been refused health insurance. This means that if you get ill and it is not life threatening/urgent medical attention then you will simply go without. Read http://familiesusa.org/sites/default/files/product_documents/Dying-for-Coverage.pdf and see how 130,000 people in the US died between 2005-2010 specifically because of lack of health insurance.

I am not a cretin and understand that there are many models of privatised medicine however I simply do not agree with a state handing over control of areas of vital national importance over to anyone over the government. There are major challenges in the NHS and I would not even begin to suggest that it is perfect. There is too much bureaucracy, too many middle manager types, too many middle aged (a generalisation but widely accurate) admin staff that bumble around all day in the knowledge that they have a job for life and that the only way they will be out of work is to die. I have no problem with paying private sector wages to ensure that the health service is run as professionally and efficiently as possible but to hand the power over makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Two areas of the health service over the last decade that have been widely criticised have been the standard of food and cleanliness. These have already been privatised and therefore the cost of making the meals as nutritious as possible and keeping the bare minimum of cleaners on wards to meet acceptable standards are now being made by companies profiting from our suffering. Many may disagree and I totally respect anyone's opposing opinion however it personally makes me sick to my stomach (ironic?).

I do see what you are saying and certainly agree with you about the bureaucracy. At the entrance to the Conquest Hospital (assume it is still there) you see the mug shots of the team, as is so common these days, and when I looked closely at them, out of the 20 or so, the majority was of managers and very few of medical staff, which says a lot.
However, I do feel that you cannot have it both ways - you state that you would be reluctant to hand it over to anyone but the government, but don't forget that the idea of managers who bumble around for a lifetime is something that you would tend to see far more of in a state-run organisation of the public sector. A privatised firm would not be so willing to over-pay.