Great news: Britain’s national health service is still getting worse
Not treating people, or making them wait longer and longer for treatment, in an aging society is just another form of healthcare rationing.
Doctors are blaming financial pressures on the NHS for an increase in the number of patients who are not being treated within the 18 weeks that the government recommends.
New NHS performance data reveal that the number of people in England who are being forced to wait more than 18 weeks has risen by 26% in the last year, while the number who had to wait longer than six months has shot up by 43%.
In March this year, 34,639 people, or 11% of the total, waited more than that time to receive inpatient treatment, compared with 27,534, or 8.3%, in March 2010 – an increase of 26% – Department of Health statistics show.
Similarly, in March this year some 11,243 patients who underwent treatment had waited for more than six months, compared with 7,841 in the same month in 2010 – a 43% rise.
Despite rising demand for healthcare caused by the increasingly elderly population and growing numbers of people with long-term conditions, the NHS treated 16,201 fewer people as inpatients in March 2011 compared to March 2010, the latest Referral To Treatment data disclose.
The British Medical Association said the longer waits and fewer treatments were inevitable: “Given the massive financial pressures on the NHS, it was always likely that hospital activity would decrease and waiting times would increase,” said a spokesperson.
that’s just the bare minimum of the disaster the dems have in store for the u.s.
The fun part is always listening to various single payer advocates in the U.S. explain how all of this will affect everyone equally, as if the family of someone who’s rich or prominent politically or socially won’t have any advantage over the homeless guy on the street corner. Always very very fun. I’m sure William and Kate will be waiting for pre-natal services when she gets pregnant…oh wait, England allows you to hire your own physician, if you have enough money, so of course they’ll use that.
somehow I can’t envision our american princelings paying for their own delux medical care. How can they rule us properly if they are bothered with little nits like that, and following the law, and stuff.
“Given the massive financial pressures on the NHS, it was always likely that hospital activity would decrease and waiting times would increase.”
This is a stunning admission. They knew all along that it would come to this. Knew it, mind you.
And waiting 6+ months for care? What will they do next? Hold a lottery to see who gets care this week?
No need for “death panels”. Just put them into a queue, and the unhealthier ones just naturally die off. The healthier ones get the treatment. Is it 25% 50%?) of medical costs come in the last 6 months of your life, trying to keep you alive? Well, the solution is to make them wait 6 months, obviously. See? Palin was wrong. No “death panels” required. Well… they have those, too.
The problem with government run health care OR private sector insurance run health care is simple to identify but very difficult to solve.
The problem? Arbitrary inflated values for health care goods and services…medical practices liability…inflated health care education! Within each of those categories lies a myriad of additional problems, all attached to arbitrary economics and industry corruption.
Is there a solution? Yes of course their is! However, it would require decades of transition. 1) Get the FEDERAL government out of the health care business except for veterans. 2) Get employers out of the health care business. 3) Dispose of health care insurance companies with one exception.
Establish in each State a not-for-profit NGO health care arbitration administration board that would arbitrate health care education costs, health care services including dental and vision and pharmceuticals costs essentially on the basis of the HMO ‘group’ philosophy. They would negotiate on behalf of the entire population of the State as one class void of any age classes….preventive health care protocols and disease class and accepted treatment protocols.
Eliminating the built in and allowed corruption in the health care system, it should operate on the same manufacturing, wholesale and retail principles of volume consumption = volume sales = cheaper prices. Fair prices based on demand and not arbitrary inflated and corrupted prices!
This solution is very long and detailed for which one cannot address in this kind of forum but, over time in transition, it would be a very viable solution and an economic model for many other industries. However, I would add that a not-for-profit insurance entity would be formed and owned by the people which would cover as a rider with a single rate for only the treament of catastrophic injury and illness. All employed persons and a restricted general retail tax would fund the account and a NGO adminstration for claims. A separate long term assited living program would be legislated and administered by each State.
This may sound scary and radical but I can assure you that you would see the arbitrary health care costs plumet overnight and health care be restructured with this programs implementation. And yes, by volume consumption, doctors would remain wealthy by any definition, in their communities!
So T. T. Thomas shows he is a socialist. Big surprise.
People who have been forced to pay into the current system their whole working lives should get out of it what they have been promised if at all possible, on a preferential basis–they have little enough time left to make other plans.
If the government will favor veterans with healthcare for life, then they should be vouchers which are used to pay for free market care.
If employers want to offer cheaper, bulk bought healthcare to their employers as benefits, then they are free to do so–so benefits should show up on a W-2 and be counted as income.
“Establish in each State a not-for-profit NGO health care arbitration administration board that would arbitrate health care education costs, health care services including dental and vision and pharmceuticals costs essentially on the basis of the HMO ‘group’ philosophy.”
You idiot communist. You were the ignorant fool spouting off about what was and wasn’t constitutional and wise…
Tommy…May I suggest you’re sorely lacking in comprehension!
Hows the labor unions, the federal government and insurance companies arbitrary inflated value for goods and services in health care working out for you? Idiot! How about putting the people back in charge of their health care and for the lack of any better means of transition over a few decades, using NGO and not-for-profit organizations to effect the transition?
As for your rather ignorant comment about veterans! One, you don’t have a clue what the referenced plan provides for veterans health care. Two, it obvious that you have not any respect nor patriotism for those who serve careers or have served the nations people in combat for the nation. There are no words to express your kind in this regard!
A prudent person would have more questions then condemnation of a very lengthy and complex program for which they know little or nothing of.
“Hows the labor unions…working out for you?”
I don’t like it a bit, but you must–you want a different flavor of the same.
“How about putting the people back in charge of their health care and for the lack of any better means of transition over a few decades…”
Your arbitration panel isn’t putting the people back in charge anymore than giving all power to the soviets did for the Russians.
“As for your…veterans health care.”
Do share how continuing to have the government run the VA is a free market solution of any sort. You know, the details I’m “ignorant” of which you haven’t shared in the first place. I know that if you aren’t talking vouchers, or something else where the employer per the contract pays the bill by cutting a check tot he individual, you aren’t talking about letting individuals make their healthcare decisions.
“Two, it obvious…in this regard!”
Oh how so? Point out the phrase, the words, which you think means I want to end healthcare for veterans. Once again try being specific.
“A prudent person…or nothing of.”
A prudent person wouldn’t propose a government based solution to a problem caused by too much government–which is what you did–they would mention details in their plan which they feel exonerate them, and they might even specifically point out what words in the rhetoric of an opponent justify an opinion they have expressed. So go ahead, how do you think using vouchers to pay for veterans healthcare is something they should resent? Where do you think I said anything else about the topic? Once, be specific.
Thanks for explicitly showing your ignorance or stupidity!
Do you have a clue what ‘NGO” means? How about the ‘people’ outside of government representing themselves? You have a problem with that?
Do you have a clue what ‘not-for-profit’ means in an NGO of ‘peoples’ representing themselves in a State? You have a problem with that?
You have a problem with ‘consumers’ of a product or service learning how and representing [themselves]?
You have a problem with the ‘people’ systemically and systematically reversing decades of arbitrary inflationary policies to establish a new norm of relative and real value between the consumer and the industry providers of services?
Your problem is either, you’re a cast in stone socialist or, you cannot see and reason beyond your eye brows.
As for verteran health care benefits you remain to ignorant to ask questions for clearification of the referenced plan and thus, you make a fool of yourself. Your disrespect for those who serve our nation in the military services in combat and as careers is appauling! Typical socialist!
P.S. Nowhere in the referenced plan does it indicate that ‘you’ should loose your present government entitlements you so love and expect from the government….while you sit back in your rocking chair and enjoy your employer and a corrupted wall street supported retirement and all the assests you’ve accumulated. Some people stand upon their principles of conviction and others fall sorely short. For example! I served 32 years active duty and do NOT use ANY of those retirement benefits to include that retirement pay. I was self employed for another very long career and do NOT use ANY of the benefits the government affords me. How does your practiced principles stack up Tommy? Now go away!
@T. T. Thomas
“Thanks for explicitly showing your ignorance or stupidity!”
You prove yourself a troll more and more every time you touch a keyboard.
“Do you have a clue what ‘NGO” means? How about the ‘people’ outside of government representing themselves? You have a problem with that?”
If it is an arbitration panel which has the power to loose and bind individual’s choices about healthcare, then it is not an NGO at all—if it has the force of law, it is government.
“Do you have a clue what ‘not-for-profit’ means in an NGO of ‘peoples’ representing themselves in a State? You have a problem with that?”
Arbitration panels arbitrate. If individuals don’t have the right to ignore them altogether, then you should have a problem with that, because then they are government.
“You have a problem with ‘consumers’ of a product or service learning how and representing [themselves]?”
No problem at all, but that isn’t what an arbitration panel which replaces our current healthcare administrative regimes would be.
“You have a problem with the ‘people’ systemically and systematically reversing decades of arbitrary inflationary policies to establish a new norm of relative and real value between the consumer and the industry providers of services?”
Which has nothing to do with arbitration panels.
“Your problem is either, you’re a cast in stone socialist or, you cannot see and reason beyond your eye brows.”
Says the guy who thinks arbitration panels which you can ignore will do any good, and which you can’t ignore aren’t in fact government.
“As for verteran health care benefits you remain to ignorant to ask questions for clearification of the referenced plan and thus, you make a fool of yourself. Your disrespect for those who serve our nation in the military services in combat and as careers is appauling! Typical socialist!”
What disrespect, you troll! Clarification of what? It’s your plan, get specific about it! Do yo porpose cutting verterans off? Do you propose giving them vouchers for their care? Do you propose keeping the VA as it is? Do you propose to inflict your “arbitration panel” on them?
“P.S. Nowhere in the referenced plan”
What referenced plan? Everything you’ve mentioned is either nothing at all or it’s just more of the same or even worse.
“does it indicate that ‘you’ should loose your present government entitlements you so love”
Which ones I love, I haven’t mentioned any. If you think I have, please be specific.
“and expect from the government”
That would be none, sir. I will and should be perfectly happy to have my taken funds returned to me, but I don’t expect even that.
“…while you sit back in your rocking chair and enjoy your employer and a corrupted wall street supported retirement and all the assests you’ve accumulated.”
I’m not retired yet, please explain how my entirely private retirement savings are corrupted, and what business is it of yours what assets I have or haven’t accumulated. You’re all heat and no light, you know that?
“Some people stand upon their principles of conviction and others fall sorely short.”
That would be you. An arbitration panel is either enforceable in law or it isn’t. If it is, it is part and parcel of government policy, if it is not, it will be ignored by whomever gets the short end of their decisions.
“For example! I served 32 years active duty and do NOT use ANY of those retirement benefits to include that retirement pay.”
Good for you. Now you want a cookie and a pat on the head?
“I was self employed for another very long career and do NOT use ANY of the benefits the government affords me.”
Again. Good for you. Now you want a cookie and a pat on the head?
“How does your practiced principles stack up Tommy?”
They stack up just fine, and far better than your muddleheaded plan. It’s either nothing at all or just more government.
Either you are really a troll, or you are the evidently proud owner of a powerful, towering collection of dumbth.
“Now go away!”
As the troll you may well be you can be entertaining. If you are really serious you need to be engaged so you can learn, so we get something worth something out of you yet—from what I’ve seen of you here, then would be the first time that happened.