Emeritus Prof Christopher MayJan 25, 2025

Wes Streeting (in the Times earlier this month via today's Guardian):

'We’ve got to identify a system of funding for healthcare that is more effective than the one we have currently got, and at the same time carries those who can’t afford to pay'.

To me this sounds like a;
a basic safety net for the poor;
a full spectrum, pay for use NHS for the bulk of the population; and
a quicker(?) private health care system for the rich?

This is not the NHS people want or voted for!

#NHS #health

Show threadDonald RoyJan 25, 2025

@ChrisMayLA6

He seems to have backtracked from this since - now emphasising that the #nhs should remain 'free at the point of use' .

Show threadApAlun 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Jan 25, 2025
@djr2024 @ChrisMayLA6 Even if it remains free at the point of use, some of us are still concerned about increasing the use of the private sector. With the plentiful examples of how the private sector has failed in other fields (think water, railways, probation services, armed services housing, Covid PPE provision) why does anyone think they are a silver bullet for the NHS? Just plain bonkers.
Show threadDonald Roy

@ApAlun @ChrisMayLA6

I do not disagree - which is why the presence of #alanmilburn among those advising #wesstreeting is quite worrying. Under #alanmilburn the #nhs was paying 60% more for procedures undertaken by private providers than public provision would have cost! Incidentally quite a bit of the extra public borrowing last month appears to have been a one off payment to buy back armed services housing!

Jan 25, 2025 at 9:21pmWeb
Show threadApAlun 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Jan 25, 2025
@djr2024 @ChrisMayLA6 Exactly. In many cases handing over public services to private companies has been a disaster - so why does anyone think it will be different for health? It just flies in the face of experience.