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Well I have just visited this thread for the first time since my last post so be patient people. Interesting to see how personal attacks emerge when we discuss and challenge the 'holy of holies' and that is what is wrong with this country and why no-one who wants to get elected will dare to suggest the kind of reforms that would bring British healthcare up to the best in the world.
The fact is I am the 'radical' here challenging received wisdom. We have all be taught that the welfare state is wonderful and the NHS is the best in the world - well that is simply not the case. Blind acceptance of that is what fossilises these services because no-one dare speak out and offer a different view, politicians challenging this received wisdom are playing with fire. That is not healthy - we need to be questioning the system but whenever there is a challenge we get a hysterical defence of the status quo.
Dave - I would not describe Estonia, for instance, as a major developed country. You claim I have not answered your questions but you have not challenged what I said about waiting lists/ drug rationing/ cancer survival rates and so on - it works both ways.
There are countries where there are no waiting lists for treatment for instance - do we not deserve the same? I say we do and a system where there are such lists is simply not good enough and it needs to be challenged.
Why on earth should we just accept such poor service? Why should we not question and challenge the system that is guilty of delivering such a service? It has to be the system that is at fault - simply because in my experience, yes Jan I have such experience, the staff working in that system are highly motivated caring people.
I am not the one blinkered here Jan. I have opened my eyes and I am questioning. Once I thought in a similar way to you and that a spot of tinkering might be enough to address the shortcomings. But no, it does not - masses of cash have been ploughed in yet we still have waiting lists and drug rationing for instance, so cash is not the answer.
Is it perhaps you who is blinkered, accepting the status quo? Accepting that waiting lists are natural and normal, accepting NICE judgements on cancer drugs, accepting the below average number of MRI scanner in British hospitals....
I fear that the present government will not be radical enough in reforming the system and the result will be more of the same.
Oh - Alec - I did not respond to that simply because we can all speak of excellent treatment through the NHS, me included. That is not the point and does not change the fact that the NHS system has many shortcomings.