Doctors forced to ration their care
Those of us who have been trying to alert the public about this government’s privatisation of the NHS predicted years ago that GPs would become rationers of medical care.
It has now come true and is a disastrous but predictable step in the government’s dismantling of our NHS.
First, there is no place for doctors themselves rationing the care they give their patients. The politicians have decided this without a mandate and if they want to continue to privatise and restrict what is available on the NHS, thus producing a two-tier system, they should put it before the electorate.
Patients have to be confident his or her doctor has their best interests at heart and makes decisions based on what is best clinically, not financially. A vital part of the doctor-patient relationship is at risk when the patient doesn’t know whether a service is denied because it isn’t necessary or because the doctor is being forced to save money.
Second, it is not necessary, but a political choice. Governments since 2010 have chosen to reduce spending as a percentage of GDP so that we now invest less in the health of the nation than most other European countries.
The NHS is on the verge of collapse and as the fifth richest country in the world this is totally avoidable.
In west Kent those who run the NHS (the CCG) have called a meeting of GPs (July 26) to discuss and approve rationing. Dr Paul J Hobday leader, National Health Action Party
More on this issue on pages 8-9
KCC spent £2,242,993 on so-called exit packages for departing staff in 2015-16. But we should point out that it is more than £2m less than the 2014-15 figure of £4,240,819m.
We always find it interesting to discover what assets councils own and how much they are worth. Kent County Council has an air raid warden’s shelter at Dover, according to its accounts. Sadly, its value is not listed.
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