For years now the NHS has been used to significant increases above inflation, year on year since its inception in 1948.
The demands keep going up: more elderly people, more technology ... and more preventable illness.
But no-one sees it that way. The success of the NHS continues to be measured purely in terms of increased longevity. Quality of life would seem largely irrelevant. If more people are living longer, then someone must be doing something right.
Now the money is drying up, despite what politicians promise. But the problem will only get progressively worse. More people are getting sicker, sooner.
Possible solutions tabled are for the services to offer less and get more efficient. Bottom line is plenty of rhetoric, but a proven inability to save money. Experts are blaming the "fact" that people are living "healthier" into old age ... despite the apparent contradiction.
People may be living longer statistically, but they are increasingly dependant on medication and attention ... and this costs money. More and more. So compromise has to come ... which means some people will lose out.
Experts proudly proclaim that "all rich countries are having the same problem" ... but yet nobody does anything except identify that eventually this will all become completely unsustainable.
The expectations of more and more people will not be met, which means that an increasing number of promises will become meaningless.
The obvious solution lies in facing reality and being honest about the facts. There is not enough money and more people are getting more dependant. This means the money has to come from somewhere and we simply can't afford to keep everybody happy. This raises the big taboo of co-payments and the possibility of "premium" services leaving those without means out in the cold.
In short we will need to shift from a system that places the burden on those that are ill as opposed to those that are healthy.
And we couldn't have that now, could we?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I agree with you 100%.
I live in America and the government is trying to socialize our medicine (a rose by any other name...) If you have visited here you would see that we are a nation of extremely unhealthy people, mostly by choice. I assure you that 85% of American health problems are self-induced (smoking, obesity, etc) I take care of myself and I pay for my insurance. I do not want to be taxed outrageously for those who do not take responsibility for their own health.
I do not want to end up with a health system similar to UK or Canada. I think the US should heed the warnings from Daniel Hannan.
Hi Angie
I appreciate your comment. The solution is so obvious ... prevention is better, and cheaper, than cure.
But as long as governments keep making excuses for peoples' recklessness (and that's exactly what it is) ... people will continue to abrogate responsibility for their own health.
Despite all the expert consultants, there is no sign that things will change anytime soon, certainly in the UK.
A culture of excuses. I see it in business here too. Yet no-one seems to appreciate the parallels.
Thanks again for your input ... and good luck!
Post a Comment