Reforming the Health Service The NHS has improved in the last number of

Comment on General Election 2010 Poll Results by Sarah in the Desert.

Reforming the Health Service

The NHS has improved in the last number of years (I have never said it hasn’t) but this doesn’t mean it’s marvellous now. So many people do opt privately in order to jump the queue or gain treatments not available immediately.

Overhauling the health system in the UK would require all political parties to be in agreement and be fully committed to it’s implementation. My ideas here have holes in them because I’ve taken an general overview, there is no such thing as a perfect system and I’m not a policy writer and this is just my thoughts on how better the system could be not necessarily it be set in stone.

Free point of use to only those entitled to use it at no charge, through the use of health cards issued after registration with your chosen provider to show your entitlement. At present, as a non tax paying expat I can walk into any UK hospital for treatment free of charge, maybe not legitimately, but I could do it!

Every eligible (UK Resident) person has a basic healthcare cover for healthcare provided in Government hospitals should they choose to use it. General health insurance would be provided from either Government sponsored insurance agencies (for basic cover and to provide cover (means-tested) for low income or welfare recipients), privately undertaken or provided through employers under a company umbrella with supplementary insurance to cover illnesses / injuries caused by lifestyle choices. This basic cover would need to be paid for by either a reduction in National Insurance or a pledge not to raise National Insurance.

Health care would be provided from say around 85 – 100% of the medical costs however the co-payment would be wiped out the longer the illness persists (as is the case within the French system). There would be concessions for certain illnesses deemed to be through no fault which would be set by Government policy in conjuction with insurers.

You would have choice of using a basic low-cost Government hospital or a completely private medical institution depending on your level of cover and what you are prepared to pay for. I also see the need for charity hospitals (dare I say it, not unlike the PDSA!) to cover the gap for those who individuals who do fall through the net (such as the homeless for instance).

Existing pensioners who have already paid into the National Insurance system for their working lives would continue under the present NHS system of free use for all which would be scaled back as those entitled dwindle in numbers. Those already paying into the system for a number of years would automatically receive percentage discounts on the co-payment and insurance premiums to reflect this (so for example if you had been paying into it for say 20 years you would have a 2/3 reduction in premiums and co-payment).

The points I have tried to include to consider are:
1.People tend to be motivated to some degree by money or the prospect of paying it out so therefore making people responsible to some degree for their own health and personal safety
2.Dangerous sports injuries are paid for in full by supplementary insurers or individuals
2.Long-term illness and hereditary illness provision
3.Abuse of the system by those not entitled to it’s use
4.Cutting GP appointments through (possible reimbursable) co-payment on consultations (you might think twice about bothering your GP for that funny twinge in your left leg that you had yesterday morning, if you had to pay something towards it!)
5.Reduce / remove waiting times as more health providers would come to the market providing even more choice and easing the burden on over-subscribed facilities
6.Maintaining fairness for pensioners and those already contributing into the current system
7.Provision for low income and welfare recipients
8.I’ve assumed that those people suffering long-term / hereditary health problems and self-inflicted health problems are a mix of different demographics (not exclusive to one group of people)
9. Private or company insurance would allow people to take their treatment overseas and therefore removing further burden on specialist services or equipment