What are gas prices in Britian?

[Andy Hall]

OK, so it can be funded separately...

[Huge]

Yeah. Right.

[Hamie]

It can't, and shouldn't. But it does need drastic reshaping.

Currently the hospitals try to cater for both public (NHS) and private healthcare. As do most of the doctors. The sad thing is, it's not a priority for either of them to make the NHS side of things more efficient or to treat more people through the NHS, because the overflow has to go through the private system. Which they make a lot of money from. Cynical of me to suspect that they like it that way, but when theres' thousands of new doctors who can't get jobs when patients have to queue for hours in A&E's due to a doctor shortage you have to stand up & say what the F&^K!

The NHS should be targeted to primary care. Stuff that actually saves lives. Not IVF, Not elective surgery, Not plastic surgery when people don't like the shape of their nose.

Those "extra's" should be taken up by private care. But NOT in an NHS hospital. Unless there's room. Room due to lack of demand, NOT lack of doctors (Esp when those same doctors doing the private bits are employeed by the NHS in the first place).

It needs to stop employing so many bureaucrats and more doctors. More nurses and have the people responsible for the wards, responsible (And with the power) to tell those who should be providing services (e.g. the cleaners) what is acceptable & what's not.

[Dave]

I rather like that description ;-)

Dave

[Huge]

Of course it can, and should.

[ocidental]

This dates back to the Clinton era right?

Not exactly faulty towers.

[Andy Hall]

I imagine so

[Steve Firth]

Errm, no not really. The NHS is quite vehement internally that it does not exist to fund research, research is funded whereever possible by grant bodies separate from the NHS. AS to training costs, yes of course all employers have to face training costs. Those countries that do not have the NHS still have adequate standards of medical care, except of course those countries where all service are of poor quality because of general poverty.

Anyway, so you've identified a tiny, weeny fraction of tax that goes on the NHS, that doesn't justify the amount actually stolen from me on a regular basis. Governments work like playground bullies, "give me your dinner money, or I'll smack you in the face."

[Frank Erskine]

What about Accident & Emergency then? If you were involved in a serious traffic accident, would you be prepared to wait for your private ambulance to turn up and whisk you off to your private A&E department?

[Steve Firth]

Well since that's what happens at present why shouldn't I?

[Huge]

Yes. This service works perfectly well in the USA.