It's Only Fair, Isn't It?

[allenlondon]

Mrs A (70s, congestive heart failure, weak) has developed lumps in her side and abdomen.

Ok, says GP, we'll send you for an ultrasound scan. We get letter from local (private) clinic. She phones up, they say "Oh, next appointment is November 13th."

Next day she phones again and says she's a private self-funding patient, and asks when the next appointment is. "Tomorrow." Which is only fair, isn't it? People who've worked hard for their money should be able to get proper service.

My Jim Royle.

(And yes, before the intellectual skinheads roar their disapproval, we're going private. We don't spend it on booze/meat/gambling/holidays/cars/etc, so we'll buy her some time instead).

A

[andy-hughes]

APG - // 18.06 ah so Allen is a leftist? //

I'm saying nothing!!!

(It won't last, obviously, but for now ...)

[gulliver1]

j/f 17,59 , And jim will appear, and start a long drawn out Argument with whoever wants to take him on .

[douglas9401]

My only problem with private healthcare is that when something goes wrong afterwards it's a blue light job to an NHS hospital.

Good thoughts for your wife, allen.

[woofgang]

douglas that's the same with the NHS and often its the same surgery team who does the primary work.

[douglas9401]

I understand that, my guess would be that the private organisation would be billed for any work deemed necessary to remedy problems arising from any surgery.

[allenlondon]

To those of you who wished Mrs A well, I thank you. She doesn’t deserve the bad luck she’s had!

To those who understand my point that poor people shouldn’t be denied prompt health care, I thank you.

To Andy-Hughes; I would suggest a dictionary to distinguish betweem rudeness and criticism.

To the usual suspects, I would suggest Casablanca.

Allen

PS when they drew the Black Knight (“It’s only a scratch!”), they modelled the character on Mrs A. I love her dearly.

[andy-hughes]

Alan, you won't be surprised to learn that I already know the difference between rudeness and criticism, just as I understand someone having a pop at the system. It doesn't excuse you being rude to me on this thread because you apparently were critical on another.

If you don't want reaction to your anger at the unfairness of the health system, don't present it with a self-important slant bugging up your willingness to do what anyone does - the best they can for their loved ones.

[allenlondon]

Oh dear. I wonder if calling another member pompous is rude or merely an observation, like calling me fat (observation).

[andy-hughes]

Alan, as predicted, you clearly are looking for a fight, but I am not minded to assist you in derailing yet another thread in order to get into a pointless argument about semantics.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Allen I must have missed the bit where you declare poor people should not be denied healthcare. You actually stated that 'it's only fair isn't it'? That people who have worked hard for their money (you I presume) should be able to get a proper service by paying for it.. You seem to be twisting a bit now and I'm sure you will come back with 'it was sarcasm'. You are a rude man with no principles, who has the audacity to criticise those who do. Keep the red flag flying Allen -that is until you need private healthcare then go for it lol!

[woofgang]

Allen "To those who understand my point that poor people shouldn’t be denied prompt health care, I thank you. "

No one gets to jump the queue who chooses to use the NHS. Its a false analogy to say that rich people intrinsically get better treatment because they are rich. What people do have is the option to spend their money on their health.
I understand and sympathise with your attitude to the NHS and I worked in it. It needs a root and branch reorganisation which I doubt it will ever get but what people choose to spend their money on is an irrelevance...except that everybody who has private health insurance contributes to the public purse with insurance premium tax, and also even those who pay as they go still pays towards the NHS AND shorten the queue for everyone on the same waiting list as they would have been on.

[Mozz71]

//All his credabily has gone up in a poof of smoke//

Wait, what?

Credibilty? Allen?

[allenlondon]

of course I’m a leftist. Never made a secret of my unreconstructed Marxism.

And I call spades, spades.

Come to me with your foolishness and you’ll get short shrift.

[woofgang]

right back atcha

[Old_Geezer]

In a civilised society some things are deemed a right to all citizens. One such thing being getting the health treatment they need. So no, accumulating wealth and being able to use that to jump health queues is not "only fair". And despite the attempt to prevent clarifying this point, not everyone fritters away the little they earn, thus not having it available to queue jump.

[andres]

The only thing that rattles me is when a doctor leaves his patients and goes to see someone privately during his NHS working hours.

[woofgang]

yes, it used to annoy me too. I dobbed a couple of them in for doing it.

[allenlondon]

Quite agree, woofgang (and others).

The treatment you get privately is never better than that you’d get on the NHS.

The difference is only one of time, and worrying..

I caught Mrs A crying the other day, desperate that her lumps were predictions of her imminent death, and ‘leaving me’.

We are lucky in having spare money. MY tears are for all the poor people crying at THEIR thoughts of death, with absolutely no way out.

[andy-hughes]

Ok, everyone who is interested has made a note that you have a social conscience.


Is that it now?

[lady-janine]

Sounds like a good use of your money to me. Best wishes for a good result, ie, something that is not serious.