Would you pay
£120 a year membership
to the NHS?
Everyone in the UK should start paying
a £10 a month “membership charge”
according to the former Labour Health
Minister Lord Warner. Lord Warner has
voiced his radical reviews in a report
entitled “Solving the NHS Care and Cash
Crisis” published by independent think
tank Reform. Warner believes that the
NHS is currently poor value for money
and reform is essential if it is to survive
the next five years of austerity.
It is suggested that those who currently
receive free prescriptions, such as
pensioners and those on benefits, would
be exempt from the charge. It has been
viewed by some as another way in which
to squeeze the working middle class. It
may also be the beginning of the UK’s
healthcare system moving towards a more
American structure where only those who
can afford it get the care and attention
they need. It raises the question, if you
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Man City have won the Premiership, Arsenal have
won the FA Cup and as the World Cup gets under way
this summer the national game will be everywhere.
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Other contributions by patients are
also recommended by the report such
as hotel costs of some inpatients’
hospital care. A flat rate of £20 a night
is suggested by the report, with a higher
rate applied to those people whose stay
is longer than average for their particular
age group. This type of charge already
exists in other European countries such
as Germany, Sweden and France.
The charging proposal prompted a heated
debate amongst doctors. One critic
described the charging as, “as poisonous
as the poll tax”. The Department for
Health, NHS England and the Royal
College of GPs all oppose charging
patients for access to care. It has also
been criticised by the doctors’ union who
say it would threaten the health services
principle of providing care that is free at
the point of use. However, a separate
survey carried out in January showed that
32% of GPs regard charging patients as
the most cost-effective way of reducing
pressure on hospital A&E departments.
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are unable to pay the membership fee, will
you be refused treatment? Will people be
deterred from visiting hospital with a minor
illness which turns into something more
serious as a result?
providing specialist hospital services that
would be concentrated in fewer, safer,
better equipped and more expert centres,
with round the clock cover and improved
transport links.
Today, Simon Stevens’ commences
his first day as NHS England’s Chief
Executive. He takes over from former
Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson who
resigned due to the Staffordshire Hospital
scandal where hundreds of patients are
estimated to have died needlessly due
to system failures. The proposals are
designed to prevent such scandals by
If you or your family have been the
victims of sub-standard care either at
a hospital or your GP surgery please
contact the Clinical Negligence team at
Mayo Wynne Baxter.
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By Annika Mason
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