Dear Alex,
I looked through the document and found it very difficult to make any
constructive comments. Most of what the NHS is doing works well. More
of the same is normally a boring political argument.
My only thought was that any one in the NHS was confined to a single
'free at point of entry' consultation from the GP they are registered
with. It is difficult for that person to have the value of a second
opinion. They have to enter the NHS system through their registered GP.
Perhaps Government should enable concerned patients to be able to get a
second opinion.
This could easily be organised by the person buying a £50 voucher from
the Post office and then using that to buy a second opinion from the GP
of their choice. I think this system works in France and Australia.
If we could increase patient's choice, would they be better treated,
would the system of secondary care have less patients/ consumers
entering it and consequently cut its costs?
This would increase individuals choice but at a cost. Worth it? I
don’t know
Philip
Philip Dawson
GP, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
-----Original Message-----
From: The Health Equity Network (HEN)
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of alex
scott-samuel
Sent: 26 October 2003 14:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Choice, responsiveness and equity - policy-based evidence
making?
Could I echo David's encouragement to people on
this list to respond to the government's
consultation exercise? This arguably represents
the clearest example of 'policy-based evidence
making' we have so far seen in the health field
since 1997. What I mean by this is that the
government has made its mind up on a policy -
opening up the NHS to the private sector in the
name of choice - and is collecting 'evidence' from
the current consultation and seeking the support
of academics in a post hoc rationalisation
exercise aimed at equating 'choice' with equity.
It would be interesting to see the public
response to a consultation exercise which offered
the choice of comprehensive health care of a
uniformly high quality at everyone's local health
centre / hospital, as part of a health service
genuinely free at the point of use - ie devoid of
all charges (dental, optical or prescription)
except those indirectly levied through taxation.
This would be rather more equitable then what is
currently on offer.
Best wishes, Alex
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 20:08:37 +0100 "Mcdaid,D"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear Colleagues
>
> The Department of Health in England has an
ongoing consultation on Choice, Responsiveness
and Equity in the NHS and Social Care. The aim is
to improve patient experience and build new
partnerships between service users and service
providers. The closing date for the consultation
period is 11th November. >
> More information on the consultation document
at
http://www.doh.gov.uk/choiceconsultation/consultation.pdf
>
> See also consultation home page at
http://www.doh.gov.uk/choiceconsultation/index.htm
>
> Best wishes >
> David McDaid > LSE Health and Social Care
******************************************************************
Alex Scott-Samuel
EQUAL (Equity in Health Research and Development Unit)
Department of Public Health
University of Liverpool
Whelan Building
Quadrangle
Liverpool
L69 3GB
Tel (+44)151-794-5569
Fax (+44)151-794-5588
e-mail [log in to unmask]
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