EU
candidate Lesley Hedges says NHS must not divide into rich
and poor
10.11.08 - Dear Editor,
Allowing patients to top-up their NHS treatment with
private care will benefit a few individuals but will
create a two tier system which is against the heart of the
principles on which the National Health Service was based.
The founding principle of
the NHS was equal care for all. It was started in the post
war years when most people were well aware that they had
won through because people of different economic and
social status had worked together against a threat to
their safety and future freedom. That is what is needed in
the present crisis, not a divisive two tier system that separates
rich and poor.
NICE must continue its
role of assessing the safety of new and current
treatments. It also needs to be more accountable in its
decisions about affordability. The NHS as a whole must
become more responsive to local need and should be
conducting genuine consultations before important
decisions are made, including on the availability of
medicines.
The decision on top-up
payments could be seen as a victory for some people
needing further treatment. It has always been nonsensical
to say that they could not have additional care paid for
by the NHS. They are not necessarily rich people who can
pay for expensive treatment without noticing the cost.
They may be using hard earned savings to pay for treatment
which is often very costly, sometimes over a long period.
This will inevitably affect more older people and they
will be making decisions about their future comfort in a
