Arrow point 20 NHS & PFI
The NHS is suffering a financial and resource crisis. Not new news! The question is why? The UK is the third richest country in the world. The NHS is the third or fourth largest organisation in the world. Between 8 and 10% of the UK population are covered by Private Health Insurance. In the World Ranking, for those over the age of 65, we were 12th in 1960 and 18th in 2015.
If it is true that the UK is awash with wealth where is it? Could it be like the lie on the side of the BREXIT bus or hidden under our mattresses in gold coins. One thing is for sure it isn’t in the pockets of Labour voters.
Just consider how large the crisis would be if the NHS covered 100% of the population? Waiting times would increase, absence from work would be at an all-time high and general health would deteriorate. With only 90% of the population to cater for. it beggars belief that operating theatres are over stretched and beds in short supply. Only the Tories could control a service with 90% take-up and turn it into chaos,
The popular view is, large organisations benefit from economy of scale. Given how large the NHS is and its drive to create ever larger units within, we are entitled to expect one of the world’s most efficient organisations. Its purchasing power should make manufacture’s and suppliers wince. Its research and development, using us as Guinea pigs, should produce a major income stream from world-wide patents. Instead from the top and locally, when forced to travel further and further to larger specialist hospitals, we are encouraged not to worry about the journey just feel the efficiency. The question is, what has gone wrong? The answer is yet again simple. If it was efficient, vested interests and the Tory league of friends would not get a slice of the lucrative private action.
The biggest misdirection of all time is the impact of the ageing population on the NHS. Not content with blurring the facts they set young against old. The Tories indicated Life-prolonging treatments and high quality care for the elderly was too expensive and a major burden for the young. The truth is, the over 65s as a proportion of the UK population has not increased as fast as in many other countries. Why the misdirection? Again the answer is simple:- Tories hate public ownership even if ordinary folk benefit and it is a life-line to the elderly.
What you don’t hear about is how PFI is now and will be for the next 30 years a crushing burden on the NHS. The PFI hospital building program cost £11.8billion and when paid back in 30 years’ time will have cost the NHS £79billion. This year, 2017 the PFI repayment will be £2billion for hospitals only and rises year on year for 20 years. Why is the cost not talked about? The answer is simple:- Private firms are the beneficiaries of NHS generosity and by some strange coincidence many are Tory party donors.
What we and the country need is a change of direction. We need a labour victory and Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister. Remember:
“Cometh the hour cometh the man”.
Vote Labour Thursday 8th June 2017
Vote Jeremy Corbyn