One of the greatest problems that a Libertarian has is trying to convey the message that Libertarians would not close all of the hospitals in the country, and the dead, dying and ill would be lying in hedgerows and/or the work house.
Anybody who has been near an NHS hospital in recent years will know that the NHS is not 'the envy of the world'. This myth has grown up over the last sixty years that has been reinforced by this Government, to the point that the NHS is beyond reform. Its hospitals are dirty, prone to MRSA, overstaffed with accountants and administrators. Its the UK encapsulated.
Don't take my word for it visit any French,German or Italian hospital to see the difference.
Yesterday a nurse was facing disciplinary action for calling out details of patients bowel movements across the wards, and failing to attend to the most basic of hygiene standards of washing hands after handling rubbish, before dealing with patients.
Today a body of a missing patient was found after three days in a locked toilet. This begs two questions, three days for a patient to be missing ?? three days and a cleaner had not checked or cleaned the toilet in the hospital ??.
Whilst whistleblowers are stripped of their livelihoods for highlighting the foul conditions that patients are forced to endure, these practices will continue.
The sacred cow is bloated,riddled with disease and should have been sent to the knackers yard years ago. None of the main three parties dare touch the NHS because of its ill deserved iconic status.
The National Insurance scheme that we pay into should revert back to what it was intended to be an insurance scheme. Not another route into the general taxation pot, so that the Government of the day, scared of raising direct income tax, increases NI instead, as it is the line of least resistance as far as the public is concerned because nobody complains as they are deluded into thinking it is all going into hospitals and pensions.
Each hospital should be self administered, and should only receive patients if it can maintain the most stringent of standards, otherwise it should close on Health and Safety grounds alone. Whitehall is about the last place that should be trusted with collecting in Health Insurance.
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12 comments:
The funny thing is, libertarians usually want to get rid of the NHS in order to provide better care for the poor and to prevent the collapse of the NHS which will be disastrous for the poor.
Unfortunately conservatism reigns supreme and people have no imagination and since WWI governments have systematically destroyed the non-state support networks which would otherwise flourish (and strengthen community).
The whole state sector, in effect if not in intent, is a system to enforce serfdom.
It's quite difficult to explain to the layman how the libertarian approach to things like healthcare actually works out better for the people at large. Well, I have trouble anyway.
Maybe as the NHS gets more and more rubbish, they'll realise.
Agreed, but I'd like to point out that the MRSA link is bogus, there's no data to back that up (quite the contrary, IIRC), it's one more media scare (see Ben Goldacre's writings on the subject).
pfig: The MRSA link is bogus? No-one gets MRSA at home...
Bear in mind that even when they NHS requires people to 'wash', what it really means is 'rub an alcohol gel into your hands so that we can gradually create a new superbug'.
The sooner the NHS is privatised the better. I believe that an insurance based system, with protection for the genuinely deserving who cannot afford basic and emergency treatment, would be cheaper, more efficient and effective than what this country has had to endure for the past 50 years or so. And it is disgraceful that every attempt to make the necessary changes has been thwarted by socialists intent on retaining the status quo.
Gandhi: I suggest you start getting treated in your home then. I'm sure it'll be fine.
Show me the numbers (and anedoctal evidence isn't evidence at all, but I don't expect you to understand that).
pfig: I'll take being tied to a railway line over being treated in an NHS hospital any day. No need for MRSA stats, just count the unidentified corpses as they're thrown out-back with the 'medical waste'.
You either have enough money to be treated in a private clinic (thinking that by some magical means it'll be immune to infections just because it's private) or you don't realise what you're saying.
Peddling scare stories that have been shown to be just that doesn't do any good to a cause that makes a big point of (and can only gain from) telling the truth.
Here.
pfig: I am of course taking the piss, but it's an easy target. I will read the link when I get a mo.
PS: I'm poorer than a church mouse.
"BMI Healthcare is one of the biggest private hospital groups in the UK, with 47 hospitals. During the course of a year, the group has a quarter of a million in-patients and three-quarters of a million out-patient visits. How many patients in BMI hospitals have acquired MRSA in the blood? None. In fact, over the years, the company has "never" had such a case."
Telegraph
I'm not sure that public views aren't changing... part of the problem is that the Guardianistas that dominate politics, the media, etc. (whether left or 'right') spout out crap about how wonderful the NHS is.
But after years of the Moron throwing money at the NHS with little impact on quality, combined with the WW2 generation being replaced by younger people who've travelled and seen what's available abroad - plus the fact that the NHS will no longer be able to fund the latest treatments when its budget stagnates over the next few years, and it is 'unable' to reform working practices to compensate - I think attitudes will change. NB The decision to allow top-ups of cancer drugs, owing to public pressure (although it won't work in the longer run).
BTW I think the Singapore model is much better than social / private insurance. Worth looking it up in the 'Undercove Economist' if you have time.
BB
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