Could Major NHS Reforms Be The Path To Privatisation? - By: Gareth Hoyle1

The NHS is currently facing the biggest reorganization in its long history and this is going to have a number of significant implications on patient care. The NHS has been labouring under the burden of providing healthcare to a growing population for decades. Funding has been growing steadily tighter as the years go by for all government departments. Now in this new age of severe financial crisis the NHS has had to face some tough criticism from patients, healthcare rofessionals and the government. Basically the NHS is facing an ultimatum - prove that national healthcare systems can be cost effective and still provide high quality patient healthcare or face privatisation.

Although the new Coalition government has never even hinted at the chance of privatisation there can be no doubt that the financial security of Britain is currently hanging in the balance. The recent recession has had far reaching effects on all sectors of life and with mounting national debt and increasing global financial pressure all public services are coming under fire. Every single government departments is facing massive cut backs which are threatening to reduce services to the point where they can no longer be viable. No one can deny that the NHS provides a valuable service to the public but the cost of this has literally been bankrupting the treasury for years. Recent studies have shown that no matter how much money is funnelled into the NHS it is just never enough. Providing a national healthcare system to look after citizens is an admirable undertaking, but in reality how long can this be sustained before the government has to say ‘enough is enough’.

Private Healthcare

Private healthcare has gained a reputation over last few years for providing fast, effective healthcare. Waiting lists are low, patient care is high and cutting edge techniques are offered that are simply not available on the NHS. The private healthcare sector is booming and salaries and conditions are very attractive to healthcare professionals. This ensures that many of the best doctors and nurses in the country are working in this field. When you compare the effectiveness of private sector healthcare against the NHS there really is no contest.

NHS Reorganization

Andre Lansley’s proposed shakeup of the NHS is a ‘call to arms’ for healthcare professionals. They are now facing the challenge to prove that national healthcare can be managed effectively. Management costs are set to be reduced by up to 45% and staffing quotas reduced by as much as 10,000 jobs nationwide. Although no one can deny drastic measures are necessary this cannot help but have a negative effect on healthcare. Experts predict that waiting lists are set to rise and a reduction in rural healthcare facilities will be inevitably.

History has shown that by reducing public sector services drastically many departments simply become unable to function. Several key government agencies and departments such The Rent Service now no longer exist, having been absorbed by other sections of the government of sold off to privatisation.

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If the NHS cannot make this last ditch attempt at reorganisation work then we could also be facing a future under nationwide private sector healthcare. This would mean that Private Medical insurance would become just another part of our lives.

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