Soon … 
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Let’s hope so.
We need private healthcare because the NHS is crap.
Not really a fan of private healthcare, if America is anything to go by. I wouldn’t object to paying more in NI contributions though.
So out of the dying embers of a once proud NHS, rises the spectre of private, profit driven, substandard, healthcare. Just what the government have been manoeuvring us towards. A tragedy and a scandal.
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We already pay more in NI that we would for the equivalent private healthcare.
I think someone having a salary of £36K would pay around £300 a month in NIC’s compared to around £150 a month for private.
Now bear in mind the NHS has more managers than doctors and nurses so it cannot be considered to be putting patients first. Furthermore, many doctors (and. nurses) work in both the NHS and the private sectors.
What is wrong with profits on healthcare ? Its because of this the NHS is in such a mess.
Should we prevent profits on other life critical services such as food ?
Interesting read…but I don’t understand why “Chronic Conditions” are not included? I understand elective treatment, such as cosmetic surgery not being covered…that’s a choice you make - but “some cancers” not being covered, what the heck?
Nothing wrong with making a profit. But when it’s at the expense of cuts in services to patients, or the decline of standards of care, then chasing the piddling pound becomes simple profiteering.
The problem with the NHS is how its run - its not the government thats doing this. The NHS doesn’t care about money, its such a political hot potato that it just gets more and more money.
The other week I did a (free) look through of how one department in a large hospital not so far from me is being run. I did it on behalf of my friend who is a manager there. I can’t go into much detail, but millions are spent each year on stuff that nobody has any idea of what is being delivered. That’s just one department (IT).
At £130 billion a year the NHS is not good value for money. It just isn’t.
The only party to cut the NHS budget was labour by the way. I don’t know anyone who has complained about private health care either, the thing is though, if your not happy with your private health care you can go somewhere else. You can’t do that with the NHS. Businesses need to continue to make profits, they can’t do that without customers.
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I can only agree.
After having five instances of fits/seizures, and speaking to a GP and being told about ‘waiting lists’, I decided to pay for a private consultation with a neurologist who then suggested I pay for an MRI of the brain. He suggested that I may be epileptic and prescribed Epilim.
That didn’t solve the problem, and following another fit/seizure, he referred me to a private cardiologist, who suggested I have a loop recorder fitted. Within a few days, that demonstrated that my heart stopped for 10-12 seconds and I was given a pacemaker, this time on the NHS, the following day.
So yes, I have paid for private consultations and investigations. Had I not done so, I would have been waiting for at least six months for the equivalent investigations and treatment under the NHS, probably even longer. Within that period I could have turned my toes up!
I’m afraid that, taking my situation as an example, I feel that private medicine today is essential unless you want to risk the inevitable delays with the NHS.
Unfortunately, many cannot afford that option.
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Heavens that’s a heck of a situation to find yourself in, JB…and yes, you are fortunate enough to afford this (albeit being forced to pay to stay alive, isn’t really a good idea). I wonder what will happen to those who can’t afford to pay…? The possible answer horrifies me.
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Simple. The poor will die.
Politicians and the rich will be OK, but even then I think their time will come eventually if the country as a whole becomes too poor to support them and their lifestyles.
It is indeed a depressing period now compared to what I have lived through until quite recently.
@PixieKnuckles , Oh Yeah, watch the price of everything go up then !!
And then the cost of the insurance goes up to cover the cost of
medicines etc! etc! Ad infinitum ! !
Donkeyman! 
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Actually, yes it is still absolutely brilliant in many areas, especially compared to the US system. My family has had some amazing care and I’m truly grateful and glad that we live here, under our NHS system
Of course there are huge problems and I agree about too much spent on admin, middle management and not enough accountability
But those problems are only going to be made worse by privatising the NHS by the back door.
And selling it off to a US company with a track record of exploiting systems designed to provide medical care to the poorest
And whose owners are doubtless part of the Tory chumocracy
The state is absolutely useless at running anything, let alone health care.
Quick question.
Do you agree that the NHS is run well ?
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Yes, for the most part I do. We’ve had some amazing service from it
It’s a unique thing our country can be immensely proud of and it’s free treatment at the point of contact for all our people, regardless of income, is something to treasure
Of course it also has huge problems
But some are using it’s current problems as an excuse to privatise, exploit and destroy it. Or to introduce less inclusive systems
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Seriously Maree ? You think the NHS is run well ?
Look at waiting times - over 6 million people on waiting lists, 14,000 malpractice law suits, ambulances that are queued up outside A&E for hours, people waiting up to 14 hours in A&E to be seen to ?
Look at the private sector in comparison.
This is nothing to do with the government spending on the NHS, it received more and more of our money, year on year and the services get worse, year on year.
If private healthcare was free like the NHS, which service would you prefer to use ?
I agree. In my experience, the medical and paramedical staff I have seen and been helped by are excellent.
The real problem is that the money they receive is wasted on bureaucracy. It has been published elsewhere that there are now more non-clinical staff than clinical staff. Not only do bureaucrats create more work for themselves, they create more staff to help them create more!
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As I said on another thread, that’s why I’m paying for my operation next month instead of waiting at least 12 months to have it done by the same surgeon on the NHS.
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