Thanks,I appreciate the objectivity. “IF all GP surgeries are over crowded with ill

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

Thanks,I appreciate the objectivity.

“IF all GP surgeries are over crowded with ill people etc… and the NHS is over worked. How would going to a partial private health care system change this without damaging the health of the nation?”

This whole question has so many aspects to it in answering! I’m not making the assumption that all practices are overcrowded but I have experienced (albeit at least 5 years ago) using inner city GP practices where you don’t even get a seat in the waiting room it was so crowded with people packed together like sardines. It wasn’t all of the time but it was some of the time.

My whole point really was freeing up the over-subscription of current facilities by allowing entry to private providers who can provide the same or more comprehensive services than the Government. Part of any feasibility study by new providers would identify location and requirement of services.

At the minute, private healthcare in the UK is still expensive because it is still only used by a small percentage of people, who more often than not just dip in and out of its use and rely on general NHS services. The more take up there is the lower the costs become.

People when faced with choice will go to the facilities that they can afford to go to and even be prepared to pay a little extra for additional perks / luxuries if it was more affordable.

I have based my ideas on the french, spanish, canadian and the health care we have here in the UAE (I can’t fault it here, even the Government hospitals are outstanding).

I didn’t really consider the US as they do have a system where a fair number of their citizens are without any cover at all (around 15 million I believe). I have tried to take the positives and include all people to have at least some form of basic health service for when they need it.

In terms of keeping the nation healthy the Government would still need to expend money to some degree in the promotion of healthier lifestyles, promoting the screening and general health checks. A lot of insurance policies allow for general screening periodically, the basic low-cost policies would still have to include this.

I do think it is important that people are made to take at least some responsibility for their health where they can and money tends to be a motivator and some will of course just not bother and still expect to be treated!