SOLO-UK Press Release: NHS – Ideology vs People

June 4, 2008

A common complaint against privatisation of health care is that it would be profits vs people, and that the “almighty dollar” would trump human welfare every time. The implication is that with public health, it’s all about the people and therefore better and more caring – more “human.”

Apparently not.

“You see with the NHS it’s ideology first, people second — and ideology trumps people every time,” says SOLO-UK spokesman Lance Davey.

“When Linda O’Boyle retired after spending a lifetime paying taxes to fund the NHS, and found the care available was inadequate to sustain her life, she sought out privately funded supplementary treatment. She was not fabulously wealthy; it was not some elite private treatment, it was funded from her retiree savings (which were much less than they would be were she not forced, via taxation, to pay for the NHS in the first place).

“Unfortunately for Linda, taking that action in an attempt to sustain and prolong her life, caused the NHS to turn around and refuse further ‘free’ treatment. ‘Free’ treatment, as I have already said, that she has been forced to pay for throughout her working life. With no further treatment, Linda has died.

“Envy-ridden socialist ideology is what killed her. How dare she take her life into her own hands – it belongs to the state! How dare she spend money on treatment not freely available to the masses?!

“A spokesman for NHS Southend Trust said: ‘A patient can choose whether to continue with the treatment available under the NHS or opt to go privately for a different treatment regime.’

“Well unfortunately Mr Spokesman-for-NHS-Southend-Trust, a patient can never choose whether or not to pay for the NHS in the first place. You’ve bled them their entire working lives to fund your die-while-you-wait, sub-par, inadequate health care system,” Davey concludes.

Lance Davey – ldavey@xtra.co.nz
+6445890932
SOLO-SOLOPassion.com