Is It Time To Nationalise All Private Hospitals ?

[Elmambo 25]

Is it time to take control of all private medical facilities so that resources are allocated in a fair way, not on the basis of wealth ?  With the NHS, allegedly set to pay the private sector thousands of pounds a day for beds, is it right that they should profit in this way from a national emergency ?

[Baron99 794]

It's already standard NHS practice & has been for many years for the NHS to use private hospitals' facilities.  

 

I know of someone who was under the Orthopaedic Dept at the Northern General but ended up having their operation at the Claremont Hospital in Sheffield, all funded by the NHS. 

 

You must also remember that many of the consultants who work in the NHS also carry out private practice.  Therefore using private hospitals at what will be a particular busy time, is not unusual. The tax payers (NHS), are already funding regular treatments within the private sector. 

[Annie Bynnol 612]

19 minutes ago, Elmambo said:

Is it time to take control of all private medical facilities so that resources are allocated in a fair way, not on the basis of wealth ?  With the NHS, allegedly set to pay the private sector thousands of pounds a day for beds, is it right that they should profit in this way from a national emergency ?

No.

Having a reserve of infrastructure and staff is a very cheap and efficient way of dealing with a crisis of this magnitude.

During war time or any health emergency this is exactly what would happen and has already been planned for. 

 

q.v. the Falklands war, when people, hospitals, aircraft, ships, suppliers of all kinds equipment and materials were drafted, requisitioned or put on notice by the Government.

 

 

 

 

[Elmambo 25]

38 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

It's already standard NHS practice & has been for many years for the NHS to use private hospitals' facilities.  

 

I know of someone who was under the Orthopaedic Dept at the Northern General but ended up having their operation at the Claremont Hospital in Sheffield, all funded by the NHS. 

 

You must also remember that many of the consultants who work in the NHS also carry out private practice.  Therefore using private hospitals at what will be a particular busy time, is not unusual. The tax payers (NHS), are already funding regular treatments within the private sector. 

Yes, I know and understand that, the questions I am posing are -  is it time to replace this system with a one tier service with access based on need not wealth and is it right that the private sector makes large profit from us , the taxpayers.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

Why would that happen? We all pay for the great system that is the NHS.  If some people buy services privately, and therefore don't use the NHS, that strikes me as beneficial to the rest of us.   

[Annie Bynnol 612]

The NHS cannot provide all the types medical services that people want.

There will always be a demand for medical intervention that the Government decides are outside the scope of the NHS.

 

For many people the NHS is some kind of moral/political entity that must be protected.

For others its existence is an  example of socialism and anti-free trade.

 

For most its a better system than any other and its aims are second to none.  However it does mean that it has to change with modern techniques and modern attitudes in line with our freedoms.

 

We must also be wary of political, media and campaigning groups who seek to control spending and influence levels of service.

As an example I will provide a deliberately provocative and controversial issue:

Do we spend more and more money on more and more birthing techniques for the urban middle classes, or on the availability of local, safe facilities in rural areas close to peoples homes ? Or on the mental health of our least well off? Or supporting drug users?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kidley 48]

Lets not forget this wonderful NHS

 

C&P

postwar Labour cabinet, was determined the NHS should “universalise the best” care and not simply act as a safety net for the poor, and should be based on need, rather than ability to pay.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/18/nye-bevan-history-of-nhs-national-health-service

[taxman 12]

The Spanish Govt have taken over the private hospitals. 

 Spain, where the coronavirus toll climbed to 309 on Monday with 9,191 confirmed cases, the government announced sweeping measures allowing it to take over private healthcare providers and requisition materials such as face masks and Covid-19 tests.

The health minister, Salvador Illa, said private healthcare facilities would be requisitioned for coronavirus patients, and manufacturers and suppliers of healthcare equipment must notify the government within 48 hours.

[Longcol 600]

On 15/03/2020 at 16:01, Ms Macbeth said:

Why would that happen? We all pay for the great system that is the NHS.  If some people buy services privately, and therefore don't use the NHS, that strikes me as beneficial to the rest of us.   

Going back to my days of working in the NHS 30 odd years ago I'm fairly sure the private sector didn't contribute towards training for doctors and nurses etc or make a realistic contribution to research and development - therefore "private" medicine subsidised by the state / NHS.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Longcol

[Ms Macbeth 73]

True, but now doctors and nurses pay for their degrees.  Changing times.

[Longcol 600]

4 minutes ago, Ms Macbeth said:

True, but now doctors and nurses pay for their degrees.  Changing times.

Might pay towards tuition but does it really contribute towards the full costs of developing / building / equipping teaching hospitals?

[dropout 10]

Is it time to Nationalise all private hospitals?

Maybe not, but, if a crisis like a worldwide pandemic or epidemic should ever occur, it might be prudent or just plain common sense on the Govt, private sector to have available and ready to rock, many, plentiful Hospital beds, equipment, staff available....just in case.  Oh, wait!!

 

I think, I saw and heard, the leader, of the Conservative and Unionist party, aka, the Prime Minister, say, quite clearly, in the last Government AND in this Government live in the House of Commons, that 40 new hospitals will "appear" (as if by Magic?), presumably this means in the UK? Was it/is it, in the manifesto? And, presumably, it doesn't mean that 40 new hospitals will emerge, but the small print was that 35 old hospitals will close, to pay for the 40 new ones?!

 

Then again, some folk are just plain cynical.