How Politicians Screwed Up The British National Health Service
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In 1948 a chap called Beveridge created a report regarding the health of British people. He is, and remains, something of a hero to British people because his report resulted in something called, eventually, the National Health Service. The result of his report in 1948 meant that everyone could receive health care – for free. No insurance needed. You’re sick you get cared for. This guy was AWESOME.
Fast forward to 2013. Mr. Beveridge is turning in his grave. Politicians have fucked it all up. Not just for the patients I hasten to add. Politicians have fucked it up for everyone.
I could waffle on about immigrants to Britain stretching the service beyond it’s capacity but I won’t. What’s the point? Anti-mass immigration objections such as mine result in us being tarred as ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic’ and so forth.
I will spend my time telling you what happened to my wife. This is neither racist nor xenophobic. It is a true story. I know this because I am still ‘living it’.
My wife was once a Senior Microbiologist at the Hillingdon Hospital in Middlesex, England. She had worked there for almost 30 years. She was damn good at what she did as well – that isn’t MY opinion, it is the opinion of an ‘outside’ audit that gave my wife’s laboratory 100% – the only laboratory to receive a 100% clear bill of health in said audit.
At the time my wife was the only person in her laboratory. Serology was a laboratory that required 2 Senior’s and at least 1 assistant but due to cost restraints and budgetary requirements only my wife was left ‘holding the fort’.
The result of the ‘cost restraints’ at the Hillingdon Hospital was my wife having a complete and total mental breakdown. The hospital praised her for her ‘100%’ result then left her to collapse under the strain of maintaining this result.
The National Health Service of Britain is there for everyone. It is a free health service. That is what Mr Beveridge wanted and that’s what was created in his name.
The NHS has died.
….and it took my wife with it.
If I hadn’t been a union rep in a former existence before becoming a driving instructor my wife would have been on a poor pension at best.
Why?
Why did my former existence as a union rep make any difference what so ever?
Simples. I went ‘into battle’ on her behalf and emerged the victor – I was a bloody good union rep you know.
The British NHS is now a ‘business’ with a budget and profit margins. Thank God (or the deity of your choice) that I was a union rep once. Without me and my experience, my wifey would now be virtually penniless and devoid of a roof over her head.
NEVER trust your politicians. Never. They WILL let you down. YOU don’t count, you just hope and wish that you do. You DON’T and you never will. Only people like me who actually care will look after you…not that I can look after you in America of course – I’m damn good but even I can’t do bugger all over there.
Serology had an audit last month and it made 56%.
Well, it hasn’t got the wifey anymore eh? – And it’s now dependent on management.
Oh dear……
We are so stupid it’s actually painful. We think we are in control and, of course, we should be, but we aren’t are we?
I doubt we ever were to be honest…….
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The NHS is still excellent but the present government is trying to privatise it. We can only hope they get kicked out in 2015 and we get a Labour government back in. A Labour government founded the
NHS.
Thanks for that bit of information. Look to the USA to see how “well” privatization works. Maybe with that, yu too, can have second-rate health service at exorbitant rates. You’ll be just like the USA! Won’t that be grand?
Norman I think you’re repeating yourself. Didn’t you already do an article on this very subject? I could be wrong but it sure looks familiar.
Just call me ‘Al’ – short for Alzheimers 😉
Good ole’ Michael Moore! Thanks for sharing James. Excellent piece.
Actually, I was initially a bit skeptical, it being a Michael Moore “epic.” As you know, he hasn’t always been totally objective. 😉
But the video does make some salient points.
True on both counts 🙂
That’s so sad to hear about how the NHS has been driven to the edge of collapse. At least you have something. That’s more than the USA can say. Even if the ACA is eventually implemented, it isn’t really going to change much. The USA will still have the most expensive health care inn the world, but far from the best.
I do have a video about the NHS at:
http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/slrman/media/BritNHS_zps06a17655.mp4.html
What impressed me about it was the statement that, “if we could spend so much on killing people, why can’t we spend something on saving people?” The USA needs to consider that approach very seriously.