Time for real reform of NHS

Your lead story last week is by no means the first time it has been reported that British citizens have gone to France for quicker and more efficient medical treatment.

You never hear of health services in other European countries having the financial and staff problems that the NHS has. The problem with our health service is that it is a ‘stick in the mud’ nationalised industry.

I was 17 when the NHS came into being, the brainchild of the Liberal peer Lord Beveridge, who put forward his social services proposal in 1942. This was adopted by the 1945-50 Labour Government as their social policy. It was announced that all social services would be free “from cradle to grave”.

Due to Beveridge not taking into account population growth, the NHS ran into financial trouble from the very start. The dream of a free health service was soon shown to be a disillusion. The cost of it was becoming financially unsustainable. So charges had to be made. This started off with charges for prescriptions. As the expense kept rising, soon after a further charge was made on wages. That was so against the socialist ideals of the health minister, Aneurin Bevan, that he resigned.

Every government thinks they have an answer to the health service, but they haven’t. Health should not be beholden to party politics. An autonomous all-party committee should be brought in to try and solve the problem. By looking at other national health services, and adopt a similar policy to the one that is considered economically the best. A good place to start would be France. Michael Wise Hollowmede, Canterbury