Save our NHS!

As most people on here know i work in the NHS and i am horrified by the prospect of the likes of Trump and American healthcare companies coming in and basically getting rid of free healthcare.

I'm hoping most people on here would be disgusted by this thought, but is there anyone on here who would be prepared to pay healthcare insurance like in the states?

The current government has criminally underfunded the NHS and social care for many years, i would be ok with paying a little extra tax if i knew it was going directly to the NHS, would anyone else be prepared to do the same?

Anybody who votes Tory is guilty of enabling this government to systematically underfund the NHS (and social care and education).

I've made my feelings on the NHS quite clear, if they just treated people that were genuinely ill it would be in a much stronger position.

Yes, I would definitely back healthcare insurance, to be honest it's the only way the NHS can survive.

No

Norpig wrote:As most people on here know i work in the NHS and i am horrified by the prospect of the likes of Trump and American healthcare companies coming in and basically getting rid of free healthcare.

I'm hoping most people on here would be disgusted by this thought, but is there anyone on here who would be prepared to pay healthcare insurance like in the states?

The current government has criminally underfunded the NHS and social care for many years, i would be ok with paying a little extra tax if i knew it was going directly to the NHS, would anyone else be prepared to do the same?

To answer your specific questions:

America has the most expensive health care in the world. It is incredibly inefficient and healthcare insurance would be a disaster for the poor in this country plus how would you be able to introduce it for the elderly or those with existing medical conditions? So no.

People often say they would support extra tax if it were allocated directly to the NHS but then vote Tory anyway. Even if a government promised to do this there is no guarantee that subsequent governments would honour this, so no to this as well.

Angry Dad wrote:No

 Another one of the i'm alright Jack fuck the rest brigade i see.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I've made my feelings on the NHS quite clear, if they just treated people that were genuinely ill it would be in a much stronger position.

Yes, I would definitely back healthcare insurance, to be honest it's the only way the NHS can survive.

 But it's not. if this government actually made multinational corporations and the super rich pay the amount of tax they should do instead of letting them get away with it as long as they finance the party, then the country and the NHS would be a lot better off.

Norpig wrote:

Natasha Whittam wrote:I've made my feelings on the NHS quite clear, if they just treated people that were genuinely ill it would be in a much stronger position.

Yes, I would definitely back healthcare insurance, to be honest it's the only way the NHS can survive.

 But it's not. if this government actually made multinational corporations and the super rich pay the amount of tax they should do instead of letting them get away with it as long as they finance the party, then the country and the NHS would be a lot better off.

The NHS is being heavily charged by nearly every pharmacy company that it has to buy from, with many of them foreign companies.
I would see no problem inviting American companies to compete on the production and delivery of some medicines, or even equipment. We know they are excellent businessmen, and competition on this front shouldn't do any harm, if managed properly.
My sister lives in Germany, and their system is quite expensive, but there again she wants for nothing, literally. She has regular, paid for, checkups for any and all conditions, including hospital visits at a days notice, along with any medication.
Nat has a good point in that if the NHS was managed differently, with those in need coming first, and those who would like, being supported secondly.
Involving the Americans doesn't mean that the NHS would change for the worse overnight. As for private insurance, etc, we have this already, with the likes of Nuffield and Benenden, who provide a service that many people already make use of. (I bet I'm not the only one on here who has made use of their facilities). 
The NHS will remain the same in principle, but there is no reason whey it has to be used in such a haphazard way. These last few years I have been extremely grateful to the NHS, which has, without doubt, saved my life. Such availability should remain for everyone and if we have to tweak the system to ensure that, then so be it.

Have to disagree slightly on drug prices Glos. I work in hospital pharmacy procurement and the vast majority of medicines are cheap due to regional and national contracts. Yes there are expensive new drugs usually for cancer treatment but that is a small minority.

Norpig wrote:As most people on here know i work in the NHS and i am horrified by the prospect of the likes of Trump and American healthcare companies coming in and basically getting rid of free healthcare.

I'm hoping most people on here would be disgusted by this thought, but is there anyone on here who would be prepared to pay healthcare insurance like in the states?

The current government has criminally underfunded the NHS and social care for many years, i would be ok with paying a little extra tax if i knew it was going directly to the NHS, would anyone else be prepared to do the same?

I work in the NHS too and know it's a monster. It has a budget of 125 billion a year. Yes a year. What should we give it?

I've already said i would be prepared to pay a bit more tax to fund it properly. I'm not saying it's run perfectly and it needs some reforms. 

The tide seems to be turning slightly with people actually expecting the NHS will be run privately at some stage which can't be allowed to happen for the reasons in my last reply to you. There are already too many private companies involved in the NHS and i fear it's just going to get worse.

There's no plan to privatise it. It's a myth peddled by various parties for votes.

There's loads of private services running and clinics running in the NHS now as you well know. I'm all for anything that will improve the service. Again it needs review to see if these influences are negative or not. 

I work in the community and that includes social care and it's an absolute scandal that people are forced to sell their homes when they require care or get dementia but those who have happen to live in a council house get the same care free.

The NHS here has the administrators in. There's a ban on stationary orders. The chief exec was sacked because of mismanagement and there's been a bullying scandal. She was paid over 100k a year, more than some GPs and specialists to fuck the whole of NHS Highland. 

If people think this kind of thing requires more funding so be it. 

It shouldn't be a political entity that is about 99% of the problem.

Partial privatisation is not helpful. The American private health companies just take the bits they think they can make a profit from leaving the NHS to pick up the pieces when they mess up.

Companies only exist to make a profit fpr their owners. They have no interest in providing a service unless they can make money from it.

Cleaning, at Warrington General at least, needs to be addressed. It was never this dirty when they employed in house cleaners.
When I went to visit my mum last year, they had a farmers market in the corridor!