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I'm glad you agree on the need for change. I don't think a cross party political group is the way to go. We need a group of experts who understand healthcare and organisational structures to look at it.
As far as a government backed health insurance scheme is concerned we already have one.....It's called the NHS.
Regarding privatisation, people think of the US model. But in UK we have a lot of privatisation...GP surgeries are private businesses contracted to the NHS, likewise dentists, optometrists, and community pharmacies. Similarly night time GP cover, locum services all supplied by private companies, as are the medicines we take.
Finally, there are already charges being implemented: NHS dental charges, eye test etc charges, prescription charges ( not in Wales where its free, but £9.35 per item in England)
It's all grown like topsy over the years and experience, and expectations, of patients have changed accordingly.
I agree for the need for health professionals to open the debate but I still think a cross-party parliamentary committee is essential to determine the frames of reference to exclude unwanted outcomes.
It is the government who is the guarantor of health provision and not the NHS because it's taxpayers' money which funds it.
I firmly believe big improvements can be made not only by resisting any further privatisation but curtailing any of it which is currently deployed
However, I think there is a case for doing away with private health care but in its place adopting a system of private health insurance payable on a sliding scale according to means. To put it bluntly an enormous burden of cost would be stripped out of the NHS if those who could afford to pay for their treatment actually made a contribution to the cost. Those without means would continue to have free care.
Apart from that the only rigid stipulation I would like to see is that unlike a conventional commercial insurance set up those who are unable to get funded because of prior conditions etc. should have the back up of the NHS to treat them as a right.