Re: Save the NHS!
The only thing that seems to matter is that it is "Free at the point of use". Is this all that remains of Nye Bevan's vision?
I don't have an absolutist view: my concerns are twofold: (i) cost-effectiveness: does the chosen model mean we get better or worse healthcare (in total) for the same amount of money, and (ii) fairness: is the service addressing the needs of everyone fairly and not providing better outcomes based on wealth, geography or other factors.
Of course, no solution will be perfect. The issue is that privatisation is something which needs very careful planning and control. We now have 30 years or more experience and we need to learn from it. There have been some disasters, like the railways, and some successes (maybe BT?). We should not be driven to a model by ideology (of either side of politics) or by foreign influence (multinationals wanting to make a lot of money).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
