Say no to the market
This week's editorial in the BMJ is worth reading. Despite all the problems with the NHS, at the BMA annual conference a few people spoke against funding through general taxation, pointing to the European social insurance model, which delivers higher quality care, though at higher cost. And a few spoke against care being free at the point of access, suggesting that charges would moderate demand, enhance patient responsibility, and help bridge the funding gap. But when it came to a vote, support for the founding principles of the NHS was overwhelming.
Equally overwhelming was rejection of US-style health care. "The very last thing the UK should do is go for the American model," said the Chairman of Council, Jim Johnson. After voting in support of the NHS's values, the meeting agreed that these could not be delivered through private corporations.