Food for thought: NHS

[KitchenSync]

With no political agenda in mind, I've been part of the March for the NHS and keeping a keen eye on Dr Clive Peedle and the NHA Party.

For the first time in my life I've been roused to become vocal about something: the stealthy (and not so stealthy), unmandated transition of the NHS to a cash-cow for the private healthcare and insurance industries.

I'll not get preachy about that - everyone will have their own opinions, but as I get closer to FINALLY getting my Falco back on the road I suddenly thought about how bloody vital to motorcyclists the NHS is.

We'll always come off worse in a tussle or spill - yet the NHS is there to sweep up the bits, stitch them back on, rehabilitate and medicate.

I can so easily imagine a time when this impartial, free and non-judgemental service finally slips away and the insurance/healthcare conglomorates get their wish. With the Tories doing their bidding the public will be sold the message "Why pay for the healthcare of the unhealthy? Look after yourself and save money!"... and the UK will switch to private insurance based healthcare.

And where will motorcyclists fit into the insurers risk charts?

Goodbye bike - hello safe family car.



I just wanted to raise this as there's an election coming. I'm less than impressed by anything the main parties are saying - but I know who not to trust

If this interests you go listen to Rufus Hound talking on YouTube or have a butchers here http://nhap.org/

[flatlander]

Whatever works for the individual I guess but its a bit hard paying for a health service when you've run out of money?
They're all t055ers for the most part but for my sins I wouldn't buy a used bike of a nurse because he told me it was healthy just because he's a nurse. ;)
Same way I can't take seriously someone preaching socialism who
A) is clearly not a socialist ... Well any more than Blair
B) has had the most privileged of upbringings and wants to talk as one of the common people - thanks Jarvis cocker ;)
C) preaches a doctrine of brotherhood after stabbing his own in the back
And if for other reason than we'd never be taken seriously every time beaker and the fat kid turned up to a conference.

As far as believing anything someone with the title Dr and NHS I'd almost be tempted to believe a politician first.
Bet they haven't got any good articles on the site about all the drug money they cream off
Nope they're all pretty crap IMHO. But conversely to what it may seem I was once tempted to vote for a hardened socialist purely because of his apparent sincerity as a constituency MP

Aside from all the above its not been a bad day ;)

[Aladinsaneuk]

The NHS is very important - if we lose it, we will all regret it

[D-Rider]

The NHS is very important - if we lose it, we will all regret it

Hear Hear

..... and under the smoke screen of the Clarksongate, the biggest privatisation (so far) of NHS services took place.

We need to guard it well.

[lazarus]

With no political agenda in mind, I've been part of the March for the NHS and keeping a keen eye on Dr Clive Peedle and the NHA Party.

For the first time in my life I've been roused to become vocal about something: the stealthy (and not so stealthy), unmandated transition of the NHS to a cash-cow for the private healthcare and insurance industries.

I'll not get preachy about that - everyone will have their own opinions, but as I get closer to FINALLY getting my Falco back on the road I suddenly thought about how bloody vital to motorcyclists the NHS is.

We'll always come off worse in a tussle or spill - yet the NHS is there to sweep up the bits, stitch them back on, rehabilitate and medicate.

I can so easily imagine a time when this impartial, free and non-judgemental service finally slips away and the insurance/healthcare conglomorates get their wish. With the Tories doing their bidding the public will be sold the message "Why pay for the healthcare of the unhealthy? Look after yourself and save money!"... and the UK will switch to private insurance based healthcare.

And where will motorcyclists fit into the insurers risk charts?

Goodbye bike - hello safe family car.



I just wanted to raise this as there's an election coming. I'm less than impressed by anything the main parties are saying - but I know who not to trust

If this interests you go listen to Rufus Hound talking on YouTube or have a butchers here http://nhap.org/

Almost everyone in the country would support you if there was any reality in your fears, but there isnt. The pressure group you link to talks of spending cuts and privatisations, yet the Nuffield trust shows quite clearly that spending on the NHS hasnt been cut at all . Have you heard of a hospital being privatised? I havent. Not that I would find much wrong with that anyway, as long as the insurance bit of the NHS covered the cost of treatment.

And I had to smile when I read the bit that said "We want a society built on compassion and decency, not fear and self-interest". He's dead now but Earnest Bevin would have had something to say about doctors self interest.

The NHS isnt privatiseable. Its a huge bureaucrasy that no private finance outfit would go near, heavily unionised and full of self interest, which is why the Kings Fund pointed out that the large majority of the extra money spent on it by Blair ended up in increased pay rates and a fall in productivity which continues to today.

The NHS costs £6871 per family in the UK every year

[BikerGran]

I think the last time we got political on here it led to tears and stamping of feet - so I'm sayin' nowt!

[blinkey501]

When the labour government started the NHS it was stated that it belonged to the people of great Britain?

I don't ever recall the conservatives asking if I wanted to sell it, do you?