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Reinstating a National Health Service

“It is time to return to the founding principle of the NHS, where everybody has equal opportunity to benefit from the best medical services available.”

2. How does it fit with Compass’ core beliefs of equality, solidarity, democracy, freedom, sustainability and well being?

Private health provision promotes queue jumping for those with the ability to pay, though it does not necessarily provide better care. Scrapping private healthcare and the compulsory purchase of the facilities currently run by private health companies would not only increase NHS bed capacity, but also ensure that access to the best healthcare was really available to all, regardless of the ability to pay. The effect would be to create more NHS consultant time, allowing extra clinics and increased access to surgery, thereby cutting waiting times.

3. How does it build the institutions of social democracy, like social groups and collective and cooperative forms of ownership and control?

Scrapping PFI, part-privatisation and tendering out of services would end “service for profit.” For example, Serco’s involvement in pathology makes money for shareholders directly from patient care. This is unethical and there is a possibility that innovation will be stifled as testing is geared to increase profitability. Catering and cleaning should be returned to NHS control. Ingredients for hospital food should be fresh and locally sourced, improving the economy of the surrounding community. Cleaning staff are poorly trained and disinterested. They should be provided with training so that they can fully appreciate their role.

4. How much will it cost or raise and where will any cost come from?

The tax payer will foot the bill. There will need to be an initial investment to take control of private hospitals and continual funding for staff, but these costs will eventually be offset when the interest payments for PFI schemes are scrapped. Capital funding is far cheaper than PFI funding in the long term. Individuals who have previously enjoyed private health care provision as a perk in lieu of taxable income would be taxed appropriately, bolstering the revenue stream.

5. Which groups in the electorate are likely to support or oppose this measure? Is there any polling evidence you have on this?

This proposal is likely to have almost universal appeal with the electorate, but would be seen as a true left-wing cause. The NHS is still regarded by the British people as an outstanding success. A 2007 Healthcare Commission survey found more than 90% of respondents consistently rate their inpatient care as good, very good, or excellent. The medical profession and the public sector unions were opposed to the plans for the creation of an “internal market” in 1989 and there is continuing controversy over PFI and the attempt to remove capital funding from the exchequer’s purse.

6. Is there a place or country where it’s worked? Please provide some information.

The NHS was the first example anywhere in the world of completely free healthcare being made available on the basis of citizenship rather than the payment of fees or insurance premiums. The UK government currently pays the highest percentage of healthcare costs compared to any other country. In the US, President Obama has started an effort to overhaul the entire healthcare system by the end of this year, and proposed setting aside a $634 billion, 10-year reserve fund as a “down payment” to help pay for universal coverage and strengthen the system.

7. What are the three main arguments in favour/against it?

Private provision of healthcare is divisive, creating a two-tier system that rewards those with the ability to pay and erodes the principle of free healthcare for all.
Private sector involvement in healthcare provision diverts money for patient care to shareholder dividends and may result in cancelling esoteric tests that are unprofitable.
Mimicking the private sector is inappropriate for the NHS. The NHS is a caring organisation where staff need support to enable them to deliver care. All management roles including HR and IT should act as support functions, facilitating the efficient delivery of care by clinical staff.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Wellbeing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.