Friday 8 April 2011

NHS Privatisation




The video relates to the English NHS but it's important here in Scotland we keep ourselves informed of what is happening in other parts of the UK.

A similar plan could apply to Scottish Water and the Forestry Commission if certain political parties get their way.

Thanks to Dr Grumble.



15 comments:

Disenfranchised of Buckingham said...

Given my low opinion of the NHS I hope it happens.

I can imagine people defending a national food service against the supermarkets.

I don't care who provides the treatment, the important point is that it is high quality and freely available to those in need.

Claims that we own it really mean no one owns it and the NHS can carry on without any real control. Stafford anyone? MSR?

It may be national but it sure isn't local. 2 hour round trip to the specialist unit for a heart check for example.

/rant

Richard T said...

I hadn't really given whatthe Coalition is up to in England with the NHS a great deal of attention but having read a bit more, it looks to me like a mess. The fragmentation and the privatisation by cherry picking and then neglect are bad enough but it looks awfu like rail privatisation with the only folk benefiting being lawyers and the bean counters because there will have to be auditable contracts for everything these GPs consortia do. So the wish to get rid of the NHS bureaucrats will result in a far more expensive layer of non medical workers who define the terms for them to cream of the profits.

Crinkly & Ragged Arsed Philosophers said...

Whatever we're told - the sole purpose behind these moves is the conservatives ideology to de-construct the NHS in favour of the American system.

The measures proposed are the thin edge of a very fat wedge for the proponents of privatisation.

Does anybody really consider these PPPs (Parasites Plying for Profits) will have any concern for your health?

JRB said...

SR – my thanks to you for publishing and my compliments to Dr Grumble for a most excellent analysis of what is about to happen.

We should all be afraid, very afraid.
It has been, since 1948, the Conservative dream to privatise the NHS.

We in Scotland, with our devolved NHS, may feel that it will never happen here. But despite earnest Scottish political opposition it will be forced upon us by insidious osmosis by our much larger NHS neighbour to our south.

Scotland will become the dumping ground that budget strapped English GPs send their patients for expensive ops. Need a heart valve replacement in Englandshire – no problem – take yourself off to Scotland, they will do it for you.
There will come a point when Scottish NHS hospital will have to charge for such services – treatment is no longer free - privatisation has begun.

@ D of B - Sorry, but please be very, very careful of what you hope for – it just might happen. And if the powers that be decide your cardiology unit with a two hour round trip is no longer cost effective, you just might find that you have a six hour round trip to the nearest approved cardiology centre.

Disenfranchised of Buckingham said...

I do not understand the worship of the NHS. I would not let my family use my local hospital.

It seems to me that Stafford is an extreme example of the norm.

* Doctors stopped antibiotics and gave her headache tablets
* Medics 'didn't see' deadly rash spreading across her limbs
* Patient died just 14 hours after being admitted to hospital

A desperate patient texted photos of a deadly rash spreading across her body to her mother as she lay dying on a hospital bed while being ignored by NHS doctors.

Critically ill Jo Dowling, 25, sent more than 40 pictures and messages to her mother and best friend as her life ebbed away.

Doctors ignored the rash and refused to believe she had blood poisoning caused by the meningitis bug, taking her off antibiotics and giving her painkillers instead.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298960/Woman-25-dying-blood-poisoning-texted-photos-deadly-rash-mother-doctors-ignored-her.html#ixzz1IvnqJCVV

How many people visit the elderly and find that they haven't eaten or drunk? Can't get to the loo? Just slap the food, inedible, on the trolley and wander off. Blind? so what? Been there, got the T shirt.

Anonymous said...

Strictly speaking, the health service in England _is_ the NHS, whilst we have NHS Scotland.

I wonder how many people who look approvingly to, say, Sweden want their... well... 'privatized' health system through stuff like insurance.

Bring back prescription charges. Now!

Dramfineday said...

Well Alec, what are we saying here? I pay insurance already it's called National Insurance. I thought the the idea behind that was to ensure I'd be looked after should there be a need. Are you now proposing that I should pay private insurance on top of the national insurance -where's the money coming from? And while we are at it how much do you propose to charge me for my prescriptions? I presume you are also taking about per item? And here's me just out of the threshold of any help yet needing regular supplies of drugs. Come on Alex - do you think I'm one of the rich that are benefiting from this or is it that I'm one of the working class benefiting from something that the founding fathers / mothers of the NHS said I should - and it annoys you?. What irritates you about me receiving some help - I pay all my taxes and have only been unemployed for two weeks in a lifetime of work - tell me, since I've contributed, why should I not benefit?

subrosa said...

The new structure all is wrong DoB. Giving GPs 80% of the cash to do the work isn't the answer because we'll all be more neglected by GP services. That's just one of the points.

subrosa said...

Richard, it's better to know what is going on elsewhere then we can recognise any signs here.

subrosa said...

Crinkly, you're the second person to tell me that - about the move to the American system.

Of course they're not interested in our health. We should have all been taking responsibility for our own health for years.

subrosa said...

JRB, as usual you raise some interesting and concerning points. There was an influx of elderly when we changed the care of the elderly system so there is no doubt what you say will happen.

subrosa said...

I think Scotland offers better health treatment DoB because the numbers are smaller and therefore so are the hospitals.

Some down your way are so gigantic these days that there can be little interaction between departments.

subrosa said...

That's true Alec but I always like to explain it.

I'd agree about that. We should have a small charge for prescriptions if for no other reason than to reduce waste. People will have free prescriptions dispensed then never use the medication by local chemist was suggesting.

Disenfranchised of Buckingham said...

SR, I agree they are too big and centralised. But it can't just be the size can it?

Can size really explain the lack of any sign of human compassion in the nursing staff? This is not just my personal experience, there was a lot about the same issues on Radio 4s Today programme recently triggered by some report or other.

Apogee said...

Hi SR, I would suggest that in a great number of cases, the whole health sector is infected by the politicians disease, on the one hand they are living in their own little bubble, and for the rest "its just a job!".
Look at the make up of the NHS , the life experience, origin and make up of the personell and you will start to see the problem. Some personell do care,but like all big organisations which are target driven, quality of service is lost to targets, every time.

Related Posts with Thumbnails