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An Apple a Day?

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," apparently.  Without doubt, public health is a "good thing."  It has been the basis of the National Health Service in Britain since the last War and it has greatly enriched and extended the lives of millions.  However, every apple, no matter how good, can turn rotten.  Some are now thinking that the worms are indeed munching away and the fruit does taste rather sour.  The catalogue of woes over the last two months is really quite dire.

• Britain spends much less than the average of EU countries on health.  Our Prime Minister "aspires" to improve this.

• During the flu eipdemic over Christmas, some patients had to be transported over a number of counties to find beds.

• Needful but expensive treatments are being increasingly rationed.

• Negligence seems more prevalent ... two patients' legs have been needlessly amputated and another poor soul had the wrong kidney removed ... at 69 he stands little chance of a transplant

• Supervision seems woefully lax ... Britain's most notorious serial killer, a doctor who killed 15 patients and is widely suspected of murdering 100 more with 1000 cases undetermined, managed to stockpile a morphine derivative for some time without being caught.

This is more than just "bad luck" .... a statistical glitsch.  It suggests that the public ethos of our common health is being undermined as management replaces service.  If health professionals are continually worrying about money and costs, they will have less energy to direct towards healing.   It is a common place to hear politicians saying "you can't just throw money at it!"  True, but if the Health Service continues to be starved of tax revenue, "efficiency" may soon begin to look like a higher death rate in the system   Already the signs are there that public opinion is beginning to turn on this one; but will it be prepared to pay the price?

Fr Gregory

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