The future of the NHS!

I was reading through an article on the BBC website and got down to the comments section at the bottom of the page. 

Right at the top at that moment was this comment

"Unfortunately history shows us that privatisation and free competition is the only way to improve efficiency and quality of service. Just look at mobile phones, every year phone companies are forced to improve product quality and lower prices. There's no reason why this can't also happen with healthcare."


I was almost completely left speechless by the sheer ignorance.

The reason that mobile phone companies can offer these benefits is that due to Moores Law computers double in capacity every year. 

Vodafone circa 1940?

This does not equate to healthcare. An ulcerating wound, for instance does not become twice as easy to heal because you can stuff double the number transistors on a circuit board every year. The treatment stays the same. 

Just don't get me started on free competition in the health service. As for it being the only way to improve efficiency? I think a nation of commuters on Britain's privatised rail network may just disagree they are getting a better service. 

"Sardines anyone?"

A free market in healthcare will only improve the health of those that can profit the providers. What happens if the sufferers have no finances to support market forces - there is no market and therefore no treatment.

We can see market forces at work in the lack of development of new antibiotics. The problem is that Drug companies don't like Antibiotics. They take a load of R&D to get to market and then when you take them they want you on them for ever (statins and blood pressure). With antibiotics you take a short course and then you stop. There is no resale value there, no value added. 

As this article states that we are prepared as a society to pay through the nose for cancer drugs but antibiotics comes in lower down the pecking order. Market forces!

This country does have issues to deal with with healthcare. An ageing population isn't going to get healthier. How do we pay for it? I am not going to use this particular entry to give an opinion. 

But I would like people to give a bit of thought to what they want from their healthcare system. 

The NHS is a British institution to be truly proud of. A bold experiment in fine British tradition! It is full of people who hold the attributes many would claim as being definitively "British". It is a model of the concept of British "fair play", we all pay for it as we can and use it as we need. Free at the point of use. 

No one in this country need fear for their health because me and my colleagues are here for YOU!

Rant over!