[MD] Down the road of mediocrity

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Ant McWatt <antmcwatt at hotmail.co.uk>:

[Platt]

> >The mistake was not so much dividing up the NHS but in having a NHS in the
> >first place. "True liberals" like true conservatives would have left health
> >care to the private sector, providing an incentive to citizens to stay in
> >school, work hard and become self-sufficient instead of dependents of Big
> >Brother government. After all, freedom is the MOQ's number one priority.
> 
> [Ant comments:]
> 
> While I largely agree with the latter sentiments, the NHS is an indication 
> of a civilised society.  For instance, there are some people (such as 
> children, the mentally ill, elderly and infirm) who aren't "self-sufficient" 
> and have no choice but to depend on others.

That the system of National Health Service is less than desirable for the U.S.
is evidenced by the many weaknesses of the system, not only those described in
the previously referenced article by Dalrymple, but by this latest admittance
of failure described on the Telegraph. co. uk website: 

"A new Government drive to cut NHS waiting lists by asking hospitals to carry out
operations in the evenings and at weekends came under fire from doctors' leaders
yesterday.

"Tony Blair promised that cutting waiting times to a maximum of 18 weeks - from first
seeing a GP to the operating theatre - would be part of his political legacy.
 	
"Tony Blair visiting King's College Hospital, Doctors attack Blair's waiting list pledge

"He said that in two years the average wait could be as low as seven to eight weeks,
which would effectively mean "an end to waiting as we know it" in the NHS in England.
Doctors and Opposition politicians said many hospitals already facing a cash crisis
could not afford to run operating theatres "round the clock".

"James Johnson, the chairman of the British Medical Association, said many parts of
the NHS were "broke".

"If primary care trusts have run out of money, they cannot buy a lot more operations.

"This and the lack of staff have already prevented extended working from happening in
many parts of the NHS."

"Mr Johnson said there had been no adequate planning for surgery to be conducted over
extended hours. Health professionals trained at great expense were going overseas to
find work, while nurses are being hit by the lack of NHS jobs.

"Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said the Prime Minister was
"living in cloud cuckoo land" as hospitals deep in deficit were already cutting jobs
and services - and slowing patient referrals, extending hospital waiting times rather
than reducing them.

"Andy Burnham, the health minister, said some hospital trusts were preparing to
extend operating times, with theatres and clinics open from early morning until late
in the evenings and at weekends."

Hardly what I would call a "civilized" system.

Regards,
Platt




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