One thing that this Country proudly offers its citizens is a free National Health Service and this has been the case since 1948. In recent decades there has been facility for the wealthy, or through employment benefit packages, to circumvent the NHS and go to a private provider.
Measures announced by Coalition (Conservative) Health secretary Andrew Lansley will give doctors and other front-line health professionals the opportunity to buy in services from a whole host of private suppliers rather than relying on their NHS colleagues as a natural default position. Some have argued that this is the start of the privitisation of the NHS itself and, as a Liberal Democrat, I would be opposed to this.
The health of this country, as measured by life expectancy, is in excellent shape; let's hope by tinkering with one of the contributory factors to this condition does not, ultimately, have a negative impact. The old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' comes to mind!
Like party stalwart, Lady Shirley Williams, I am "deeply troubled" by these proposals.
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