UK – How do you end a NHS postcode lottery and turn it into a national lottery?

Question

I was amazed to hear that this much publicised NHS 'review' report and draft (as they are now calling it) constitution applies to England only!

Does this then mean the postcode lottery will continue in Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland?

It would be interesting to hear what the Scots, Welsh and Irish

think of this

If a Welsh person (resident) is injured and treated in England does this mean that they will receive a different standard of service (quality) to an English person (resident) injured and treated in Wales?

Answer 1

I can't really answer your second question about Scotland Ireland and Wales mate, despite being the so called UNITED kingdom, Ireland Wales have Scotland have always had different rules when it comes to health care, so maybe its a case of if they want the benefits of the new system (of which are still being debated) maybe they should bring their health systems (such as prescription pricing) in line with England first.

But my rant over, the only way you will ever get rid of the postcode lottery is when we remove the notion of buisness and money from healthcare completely.

The NHS is a BUISNESS now, as much as us Doctors and Nurses (myself included) have tried to rail against it! The government and the PCTs have turned this wonderful ideal into a grubby moneyspinning buisness. Its pathetic. And this new Darzi report will only make things worse as private buisnesses (such as Boots and Virgin - yes, Im not joking,) are being allowed to vie for the contracts.

The NHS as we know it is dead. The only way to revive it is to purge every notion of money/cost and middle management from it and just fill it full of Doctors, Nurses and health care workers who have the best interests of patient care at heart, not money.

Shamblin I know exactly what you mean, and that is exactly what this will become. Just more and more middle management, admin and beauracracy, and not enough medical staff.

The NHS works, it is the middle management and PCT beauracracy that is killing it off. Sack all the moronic middle management/coordinators/facilitators/ idiots with clipboards and targets/ harridans with ridiculous job titles and no real job/ PCT managers and politicians and return it to what it was, swamp the wards with doctors and nurses, (so 1 nurse doesn't have to look after 25 patients, I've seen it happen! And then these idiots in power wonder why people arent getting cared for!) supported by auxi nurses and cleaners,

stop outsourcing all the work to other companies, just give the hospitals the equipment and drugs they need, and there wouldn't be a problem!

Answer 2

Put the patient at the heart of the NHS ?  Where on earth were they before then ?

Answer 3

i don't follow, the standard of treatment is universal.

A british citizen can be treated in any of the 4 countries. The only diff is how they organize it.

Answer 4

let the B.N.P. into power and you will find out no other party will do this .