I have just watched a depressing exchange in Parliament between government
and opposition about waiting lists and rationing. When will the politicians
start treating this subject intelligently?
Rationing exists and has always existed in the health service and whilst noone
likes rationing when it prevents them from receiving or imparting care that
they think is appropriate it is inevitable that the public purse can't stretch
to encompass every call upon it.
What is needed is proper debate about the criteria upon which rationing should
be based and the politicians must set out their stall. Totally disengenuous
statements like Alan Milburn's today which appear to deny the existence of
rationing without actually doing so don't take us anywhere.
Currently rationing affects impotence treatment, infertility, MS, dentistry to
name but a few instances. When has the basis for these decisions had a proper
airing in Parliament?
I think we need a Royal Commission on rationing in the Health Service to which
all interested parties can give evidence and the the report of the Commission
could, hopefully be debated in the country at large and then in Parliament.
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