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To Mark Exworthy's question,

 

I doubt a US Olympic opening would mark Medicare, but it just might bring Social Security along for a mention. Social Security used to have--and might still--an iconic status analogous among its supporters to the NHS.  Politicians can celebrate it without fear, but in contemporary circumstances would wring their hands about the financial implications of the growing number of seniors. In short, it is our sacred cow, though now subject to worries about affordability, however unfounded.

 

In addition, Mark, it would certainly be the case that Canada's Medicare is a natiional icon that has commanded support analogous to that for the NHS.  Canadians selected Tommy Douglas, the founder of the provincial program that gave Medicare a start, the "most admired figure' in Canadian history.

 

So, for what it is worth, there are analogues to the NHS's iconic status, but perhaps not quiite enough to make an Olympic opening.

 

Ted

From: Anglo-American Health Policy Network [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Joseph White [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 30 July 2012 09:30
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Olympics and the NHS

I do wonder what the U.S. version of the same show would be... probably a focus on medical research such as the polio vaccine.  Or maybe a pageant of the most typical U.S. operation: wallet extraction.
 
But the UK does qualify as the first universal health services guarantee, right?  Something to be proud of, whether it is "the best" or not.  It's still, to my values, a step forward in basic human decency and community.  Though the Guardian reports that the French commentators during the show said something like, "yes, the doctors and drugs are free, but you have to wait a few weeks."
I suspect it's safe to assume that Danny  Boyle wanted to make the point that there are things the government did for its people that are part of Britain's story and should be part of its pride.  And that deserve to be protected and celebrated.  Of course Cameron and Lansley will claim to be doing precisely that - just as the U.S. Republicans claim to be "preserving and protecting" Medicare.
 
cheers,
joe
On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 1:58 PM, Michael Gusmano <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I don't know about the message, but the fact that they referenced the health care system was striking.

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-----Original message-----
From: Adam Oliver <[log in to unmask]>
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Jul 30, 2012 09:57:23 GMT+00:00
Subject: Re: Olympics and the NHS

Maybe Danny Boyle wasn’t suggesting that. Perhaps he was just trying to add a little bit of balance to the unremittingly corporate exercise that the Olympics has become, to the extent that it has completely lost its original meaning.

 

On the plus side, the roads from my flat to the LSE are surprisingly very quiet. Perhaps the large private sector conglomerates bought up all the road space allocation, and then failed to turn up and use it.

 

From: Anglo-American Health Policy Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Max Hotopf
Sent: 30 July 2012 10:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Olympics and the NHS

 

Obviously we should celebrate the fact that we have the best healthcare system in the world. Don't we?

On 30 July 2012 10:24, Exworthy, M <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Dear all,

I would be interested to know what our US colleagues (and UK ones too) made of the Olympic opening ceremony’s reference to the NHS. Would any other country refer to its health system in such a way? Is this a sign of UK self-confidence or a defence against reforms of an apparently much-loved social institution?

Thanks to Roy Lilley (www.nhsmanagers.net), here are some links to comment on the NHS aspect of the ceremony:

and also:

Regards

Mark

Prof. Mark Exworthy

Professor of Health Policy and Management

School of Management, Royal Holloway-University of London

[log in to unmask]

www.rhul.ac.uk/management

 

 

 


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