NHS runs out of money - Despite a £100 billion budget , time to privatise ?

By: Nadeem_Walayat

NHS trusts up and down Britain have reportedly run out of money, and as a consequence are cancelling routine operations such as treatments for varicose veins, teeth etc. We highlighted this possibility in our article of 25th December 06 - The NHS is killing Britain as it wastes tens of billions every year , Hospital trusts continue to request billions more as GP's are told to refer fewer patients to hospitals. As well as hospital departments being told to turn patents away.

Whilst in the meantime, the debt that has built up through utter incompetence and mis-management by NHS Trusts CEO's, that have in some cases tripled salaries of none front-line staff, which is the primary reason why £100 billion per year is not enough to meet the needs of patents, despite reduced patient load due to lengthening in waiting lists

A think tank today claimed (Reform) performance by local health authorities had actually reversed despite record funding going into the system. "The evidence is that the service is in a weaker position than in 2004," the report's author, Nick Bosanquet, said. Well that would seem obvious to users of the NHS service right from GP's straight to health departments are failing to do the job they have been paid to do, which includes tripling of salaries.

The United States had Enron, Britain has the NHS. The Enron fraudsters were eventually held to account. But those responsible for wasting tens of billions per year will likely never be held to account !

The NHS is not working, and throwing another £10 billion at it is not going to make any difference. In my opinion it is time to make the NHS accountable and give the say back to the patients who via vouchers can take their treatment to whichever GP they choose to or whichever hospital, be it an NHS hospital or private hospital. Because the current system is a disaster ! It is time it privatise the NHS, rather then in another decades time wonder why the UK tax payer is wasting £200 billions a year on an health service that does not work, rather employs people for employments sake.

The 1.2 million people on the NHS gravy train should be dragged kicking and screaming to the market place where incompetence cannot be ignored. Already the Trades Union Council is gearing up to protest against any job losses amongst those on the NHS gravy train. Despite the fact that the NHS clearly employs too much dead wood. Who balk at any attempts at the introduction of market mechanisms into the NHS that may make a small dent in the financial black hole that the NHS has become.

It would probably be cheaper to use the £100 billions per year to fund patient treatement in which ever private hospital in which ever European Country. Then the British tax payer would recieve value for money and the patients would recieve the health care they deserve.

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