End of the Big Society Options

[Andy Capp]

There is already a thriving private health care industry in the UK and my limited experience is that its quality is considerably higher than the NHS.

They have the 'pick of the work'. There's no private A&E and private health depends partly on the existence of the NHS for treatment space and equipment. I'd buy the private health care is a better idea line if someone could demonstrate the comparative cost per person between the business models.

[Bloggo]

Often through no fault of their own. Do we want to end up like the USA?

Yes, I understand but I feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the favour of the system abusers and too few are being asked to pay for too many.

[Andy Capp]

I suspect that the NHS is a victim of it's own size and success. I have seen a number of TV programs that seem to demonstrate how wasteful the service is. Outsourcing and privatisation is designed to make it more competitive, but as we sometimes have seen in the past, bodies charged with regulating the privatised former public services don't always have the muscle required top do the job 'properly'. Currently we have the ballot box to 'regulate' the public services, and should privatisation 'fail', it is almost impossible to reverse the decision.

[dannyboy]

Yes, I understand but I feel that the pendulum has swung too far in the favour of the system abusers and too few are being asked to pay for too many.

more like people are living too long

[Bloggo]

more like people are living too long

Yes, that too and that issue will now be amplified by the wave of "baby boomers" retiring this year. But hey, the majority of them will have contributed to the welfare system since they started work at 15 and deserve to be looked after.

[Andy Capp]

The problem is - in theory - NI was never at the level it needs to be, to cope with demand.

[dannyboy]

Yes, that too and that issue will now be amplified by the wave of "baby boomers" retiring this year. But hey, the majority of them will have contributed to the welfare system since they started work at 15 and deserve to be looked after.

But in 1947 the average male life expectancy was under 64 years. The idea was that the NHS would keep you fit to work, not fit to retire.

[Jayjay]

The report says all services except for police, armed services or judiciary will be auctioned off. This could mean your NHS records going to India, your tax being in China, NHS call centres in Mongolia and your state pension in Libya.