The “Envy of the World” is Being Privatized
[I]n 2000 the NHS [British National Health Service] created independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) to contract out various clinical services. The same year, pathology and high technology diagnostic services began begin contracted out to provide-sector providers as well.
Further, in 2008, NHS began the Patient Choice initiative through which patients are able to choose any provider (i.e., NHS, private, not for profit) they wish for elective care.
Just as the U.S. healthcare system is not exclusively run by the private sector, in Great Britain the NHS also does not provide 100% of the care British patients receive.
More from Jason Shafrin. Study.
People criticize the NHS because it cannot provide the amount of care needed. But the reality is that it was never really intended to provide unlimited care. It quietly uses age-based rationing and other forms of rationing — including lower access to expensive cancer drugs.
After this new foray into privatisation, perhaps the UK will realise that the free market does actually help make thing more efficient.
Fingers crossed.
Privatizing services is a major beefit for any industry.
“In England, under the NHS Constitution, patients ‘have the right to access services within maximum waiting times, or for the NHS to take all reasonable steps to offer a range of alternative providers if this is not possible’.”
Looks like privatization is the solution to the long wait lines. Who knew?
The point of the NHS was universality. That taxpayers actually subsidized (and celebrated) such a poor attempt at comprehensive coverage is disconcerting. We’re different though. America will get it right. What a joke.