Hi Ben

This is certainly somewhat of a moral dilemma.   It has always for
instance been a mystery to me why a patient, entitled to NHS services
who opts to have part of these privately is no longer eligible for say
NHS prescriptions.   It does seem an inequity in the system that when
choosing private treatment and reducing costs to the NHS the NHS then
refuses a justifiable subsidy of treatment which would be available to
other patients.

The issue here is surely who the funding and service provided is
intended to benefit - the practitioner or the patient.   I would have
thought that the intention is to benefit patients and allow inclusivity.
How they are choosing to fund their treatment is surely irrelevant - it
could be argued that if they are saving PCT money in treatment provision
they should be even more entitled to the services you are proposing.

Regards

Nigel

Dr Nigel L. Carter BDS LDS(RCS)
Chief Executive
British Dental Health Foundation
Smile House
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UK
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Fax (44) 870 770 4010
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jones Benjamin [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: 25 April 2005 09:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Monday Morning Moral Dilemma

Morning all

blazing sunshine here in Liverpool, hope the rest of you are similarly
blessed.

We are, later this week introducing a variety of services to all
Pharmacists, Opticians and Dentists in Liverpool.

These services are

*       Face to face interpretation
*       Telephone Interpretation
*       BSL Interpretation
*       Deafblind Interpretation
*       Lipspeakers
*       Braille transcription
*       CD/Cassette Transcription
*       Typetalk

However, we have run into a moral dilemma.

Do we make these services available for private work? e.g. do we only
allow a dentist to use an interpreter for NHS patients? On the surface
this may seem an obvious yes. However, on closer examination it means
that we are possibly consigning non-English speakers to metal fillings
and thick rimmed indestructible NHS glasses. Is this how the NHS should
present itself?

Very happy to hear any opinions.....

b e n


Ben Jones
ATCI Social Inclusion Team
Central Liverpool Primary Care Trust
0151 285 6361