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
I don't know about the message, but the fact that they referenced the health care system was striking.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
-----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
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