Time to abolish the NHS

[sasguru]

It really is. The last bastion of public sector inefficiency has to go.

[Kyajae]

It really is. The last bastion of public sector inefficiency has to go.

And replace it with what?

[Moscow Mule]

And replace it with what?

Health insurance credits, after all the Tax Credits system works perfectly.

[chicane]

Abolish the NHS, abolish NI (to prove that it is indeed present to pay for the NHS, and only the NHS), and people can choose whether to spend the money saved on NI on private healthcare.

Problem solved.

[Kyajae]

Health insurance credits, after all the Tax Credits system works perfectly.

Tax crerdit overpayments have been a nightmare. What happens if you recieve too many heath insurance credits and use them on, say, a hip replacement. Then they find they've given you too many credits. What happens next. Do you have to have your foot removed as part of the refund?

[gordonbrown]

The evidence shows that the Tax Credit system is working very well for the vast majority of hard-working families. There are some cases where overpayments have been made, however this is the fault of the recipients, who provided incorrect information to be used in assessing their award. I would draw your attention to the fact that, if these people had provided similarly incorrect information to HM Revenue and Customs, they would not only be facing a demand for the money back, but would also be facing large fines, and possibly imprisonment, for evasion of taxes.

Regarding the National Health Service, evidence again shows that the improvements that I have funded over the past few years have resulted in record levels of public satisfaction. There are now more doctors and nurses than ever before, shorter waiting lists than ever before, and patients are enjoying faster recovery rates than ever before.

[Old Greg]

Abolish the NHS, abolish NI (to prove that it is indeed present to pay for the NHS, and only the NHS), and people can choose whether to spend the money saved on NI on private healthcare.

Problem solved.

Like it's solved in the US?

[Zorba]

Personally, I'd go for the French system. However, given that it requires lots more investment (circa double) I don't trust the current government to not simply raise the taxes and then either pocket the lot or let the top end of 'consultants' (the medical kind) give themselves fat bonuses and then appear in BBC headlines of the 'Ooh, didn't we get nice bonuses this year?' type. Consequently, the only way it would work would be for us to offshore the running of the whole system to the French - without, of course, telling them that it is in fact us who are benefitting from and paying for it.

Right. *Flak jacket on*.

[chicane]

Like it's solved in the US?

Yes.

[Burdock]

Consequently, the only way it would work would be for us to offshore the running of the whole system to the French - without, of course, telling them that it is in fact us who are benefitting from and paying for it.

Right. *Flak jacket on*.

brilliant idea. can they do our trains too?!