The current uproar in America about allowing all Americans having access to health care available from state funding rather than just retirees has crystallised for many Brits arguments about the NHS. For some, notably from the Tory party, its highlighted their true beliefs that the NHS should be dismantled. For many others we’ve heard deeply affecting stories of how the NHS has saved lives for all parts of society.
Several arguments that persuade me that a NHS system is best for individuals and society. A close friend took up a job in the states that came with medical health insurance for him and his family. The day he took up his new job his young child became dreadfully ill and spent a month in Boston’s children’s hospital. If she’d become ill a day earlier they would have been financially ruined by the medical bills. We are so lucky that we don’t live under the shadow of such fear. Even where medical insurance is in place the fine print will often mean it doesn’t pay out.
A few facts the World Health Organisation and Commonwealth Fund have reported:
US healthcare spend 16% of GDP, England 8.3%
US Life expectancy 77 years, England 78 years
US acute bed/1000 people 2.8, England 3.6
US average length of stay acute care 5.6 days, England 3.6 days
US under 5 mortality/1000 live births 9, England 6.
So we spend roughly half the cash but get better results.
Hopefully in America common sense will prevail rather than a poverty aspiration amongst the rich and powerful.
Hopefully the exposure of many Tories uncosted views on the NHS will ensure common sense. We can’t afford as a nation to double health spending for poorer results emulating the states.
It means that the Dulwich Hospital isn’t directly competing with Kings College Hospital for custom. But instead conitnues to compliment each others work.