Firstly, let me address some questions to those readers from the private sector. Public sector employees can think about answers but I doubt you will get it.
So, In the private sector, do you believe that the board of directors or your division's managing director would be calling, year after year for more money to be given to them while offering no guarantees of service? Let me correct that, while stating that you may not be able to provide a service at all.
Getting specific, do you think it acceptable that the NHS have a ring-fenced budget? Do you believe that any business in the private sector would be guaranteed that whatever their performance the organization will receive year on year growth in their funding? Is your business one where efficiency or lack of it has no effect on the salaries or bonuses of the workers? Where some of the workers are able to bring in private work and carry it out without anyone talking of a conflict of interest.
Of course these questions all relate to the UK's 'envy of the world' - the NHS.
Socialist politicians who are funded by unions (who now mostly represent public sector workers - with a very large contingent from the self-same NHS) have managed to hijack and effectively close-off any debate about the NHS and politicians of all hues are falling over themselves, to throw ever more money at the NHS.
Le's be clear. People are living longer, so that presents a natural additional burden upon the NHS. This is also changing the patient 'mix' for the NHS - more elderly patients with geriatric illnesses and longer times, in hospital, to recover. Further, people are living longer because of advances in medical science. These advances though, don't come cheap.
Add to that the usual problem of idiots abusing the NHS - attending Accident and Emergency departments because they have a cold or a headache or some minor ailment. Layer-on also other abuses by non-Britons who receive treatment, for which neither they nor their governments ever pay and you have a classic squeeze.
That would be the time that any other organization would look at how they can re-organize and learn to adjust their methods and spending plans to meet straitened times. Time to root out system and process inefficiencies. Time to look at manning levels, especially middle management. Time to examine contracts and renegotiate with suppliers - be they PFI financiers or drugs suppliers or nursing unions or doctors and consultants.
This though, doesn't happen in the NHS. Instead, they simply whine about cash constraints, wheel out some bleeding wounded and allow the level of service delivery to fall and fall and then blame this on 'lack of funding'. In any other organization, heads would roll but instead, we see and hear politicians promising ever and ever higher amounts of funding. Funding which will not actually go into service delivery but rather into the pockets of NHS staff - think about that when you next see your doctor or visit the local hospital.
The NHS is a classic example of a nationalized industry - it is there for the benefit of the providers and not for the benefit of consumers.
That is a sorry state of affairs, in this day and age, when people have the advantage of seeing the massive benefits that have already accrued from the state getting 'out of business' but what's worse is that there is no politician that has the courage to call-out the NHS and demand that they change - not one.
Ask yourself if we really get value for money, from the more than £100 Billion that is spent on this service, every year. Ask yourself if you are prepared to pay ever higher taxes to fund the NHS - if yes, how much more? 5%?, 10%?, 15%? Ask yourself if taxes don't rise, what else will be cut to feed the NHS beast? Pensions? Defence? Education?
Then ask yourself when is enough, enough? When can we clear the socialist claptrap from our ears, eyes and minds and see that this 'envy of the world' isn't the envy but rather, is a service that could easily consume ever larger parts of the national economy and yet not improve its service.
So, In the private sector, do you believe that the board of directors or your division's managing director would be calling, year after year for more money to be given to them while offering no guarantees of service? Let me correct that, while stating that you may not be able to provide a service at all.
Getting specific, do you think it acceptable that the NHS have a ring-fenced budget? Do you believe that any business in the private sector would be guaranteed that whatever their performance the organization will receive year on year growth in their funding? Is your business one where efficiency or lack of it has no effect on the salaries or bonuses of the workers? Where some of the workers are able to bring in private work and carry it out without anyone talking of a conflict of interest.
Of course these questions all relate to the UK's 'envy of the world' - the NHS.
Socialist politicians who are funded by unions (who now mostly represent public sector workers - with a very large contingent from the self-same NHS) have managed to hijack and effectively close-off any debate about the NHS and politicians of all hues are falling over themselves, to throw ever more money at the NHS.
Le's be clear. People are living longer, so that presents a natural additional burden upon the NHS. This is also changing the patient 'mix' for the NHS - more elderly patients with geriatric illnesses and longer times, in hospital, to recover. Further, people are living longer because of advances in medical science. These advances though, don't come cheap.
Add to that the usual problem of idiots abusing the NHS - attending Accident and Emergency departments because they have a cold or a headache or some minor ailment. Layer-on also other abuses by non-Britons who receive treatment, for which neither they nor their governments ever pay and you have a classic squeeze.
That would be the time that any other organization would look at how they can re-organize and learn to adjust their methods and spending plans to meet straitened times. Time to root out system and process inefficiencies. Time to look at manning levels, especially middle management. Time to examine contracts and renegotiate with suppliers - be they PFI financiers or drugs suppliers or nursing unions or doctors and consultants.
This though, doesn't happen in the NHS. Instead, they simply whine about cash constraints, wheel out some bleeding wounded and allow the level of service delivery to fall and fall and then blame this on 'lack of funding'. In any other organization, heads would roll but instead, we see and hear politicians promising ever and ever higher amounts of funding. Funding which will not actually go into service delivery but rather into the pockets of NHS staff - think about that when you next see your doctor or visit the local hospital.
The NHS is a classic example of a nationalized industry - it is there for the benefit of the providers and not for the benefit of consumers.
That is a sorry state of affairs, in this day and age, when people have the advantage of seeing the massive benefits that have already accrued from the state getting 'out of business' but what's worse is that there is no politician that has the courage to call-out the NHS and demand that they change - not one.
Ask yourself if we really get value for money, from the more than £100 Billion that is spent on this service, every year. Ask yourself if you are prepared to pay ever higher taxes to fund the NHS - if yes, how much more? 5%?, 10%?, 15%? Ask yourself if taxes don't rise, what else will be cut to feed the NHS beast? Pensions? Defence? Education?
Then ask yourself when is enough, enough? When can we clear the socialist claptrap from our ears, eyes and minds and see that this 'envy of the world' isn't the envy but rather, is a service that could easily consume ever larger parts of the national economy and yet not improve its service.
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