Here's Another Example Of Why You Should Be Fighting To Save The NHS

The NHS is the greatest thing about the UK, even now after decades of political dismantling of the service by successive governments - including the Labour government under Tony Blair. 

If you want an example of what it will be like if that dismantling is allowed to run to its conclusion, then have a read of this post on Vox. Does that sound any kind of way to run a health service. 

So why are UK governments trying to dismantle such a worthy and valuable service?

Fear of rising costs and a reluctance to increase taxes, that's why. At some point during the late eighties a government think tank somewhere told ministers that the growing population, extended life spans and the greater survival rate for certain chronic diseases was going to create a crippling tax burden. 

Privatisation was the desired answer. However public opinion would have crucified that government, its ministers and their party for all of history.

Instead a plan was devised to turn public opinion against the NHS and over a series of decades turn public opinion against the NHS. This has been achieved by reducing NHS budgets and by setting unachievable performance targets.

By eroding public confidence in the NHS, resistance to privatisation has been all but non existent.

For now, privatised NHS services remain free at the point of care. It is highly unlikely that this will be a permanent state of affairs. 

That 'crippling tax burden' looks tiny alongside the cost of US healthcare provision. Still, as long as we can get that new iPhone, laptop or go on holiday our long-term healthcare doesn't bother us.

Take a look at the millions in the US suffering as a result of chronic health issues, the inability to afford either healthcare or health insurance; and look at the future of a UK without the NHS. It's a future that should be unimaginable in the modern world. Never mind in a country which recently celebrated seventy years of these best healthcare in the world.