{macro question(showVoteTotal)}
    <div class="poll-question">
      {if keyType == "discussion"}
        <a href="/forums/?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=${key}#forumPostTitle_1" title="View discussion">
          ${poll.Question}
        </a>
      {else}
        ${poll.Question}
      {/if}
      {if showVoteTotal}
        <span class="poll-votes">(${poll.TotalVotes} ${"vote"|pluralise:poll.TotalVotes})</span>
      {/if}
    </div>
  {/macro}
  <div class="slResults" {if !noVote}style="display:none;"{/if}>
    ${question(true)}
    <table class="slAnswerStats" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
      {for answer in poll.Answers}
        <tr class="slAnswerStat slAnswerStat_${answer_index}">
          <td class="slAnswer">${answer.Answer}</td>
          <td class="slAnswerBarCell">
            <div class="slAnswerBar">
              <div class="slAnswerCount">${answer.NumberOfVotes} ${"vote"|pluralise:answer.NumberOfVotes} (${answer.PercentageStr}%)</div>
              <div class="slAnswerBarPercent" style="width: ${answer.Percentage}%;"></div>
            </div>
          </td>
        </tr>
      {/for}
    </table>
    {if !noVote}<div class="results"><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="slVoteLink">Go vote!</a></div>{/if}
  </div>

{if !noVote}
  <div class="slVote">
    <div class="slErrorText">You must select one answer before submitting your vote.</div>
    ${question(false)}
    <table class="slAnswers" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
      {for answer in poll.Answers}
        {var answerId = poll.PollKey.Key + '.' + answer_index}
        <tr>
          <td class="slAnswerInput">
            <input type="radio" name="answers" value="${answer_index}" id="${answerId}"/>
          </td>
          <td class="slAnswerText">
            <label for="${answerId}">${answer.Answer}</label>
          </td>
        </tr>
      {/for}
    </table>
    <div style="clear: both; margin-left: 8px;">
      <div class="slSendAnswer"><input class="slVoteButton" type="button" value="Vote" /></div>
      <div class="results"><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="slResultsLink">View Results...</a></div>
    </div>
  </div>
  {/if}

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Is a two tier health system a good idea?

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Is a two tier health system a good idea?

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Should the NHS be allowed to raise more income from opening up half of the service to paying (private) patients? Currently, this is said to be only at 2% but by removing the cap this could increase t

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Forums » Off duty » News & media » Is a two tier health system a good idea?

Is a two tier health system a good idea?

posted at 28/12/2011 9:55 AM GMT on bmj.com

*Moderator*

mbillingsley

Posts: 623
First: 7/4/2011
Last: 16/5/2012

Should the NHS be allowed to raise more income from opening up half of the service to paying (private) patients? Currently, this is said to be only at 2% but by removing the cap this could increase to 49%.

Of course, this may bring in extra funds for the NHS, but will this really mean a better service? If there is a two-tier system - won't this mean that there are limited services for those who can't afford to pay, meaning that there will be longer waiting lists?

I remember in the UK that a 5 or 6 years ago you could get a NHS dentist and then more practices starting doing private work and lo and behold virtually all of the dentists nearby became private. Because it was so difficult to get a NHS dentist this put me off from going to the dentist completely and have only just found a reasonable one which I still have to pay for...

It seems that this will mean that half of the service will be driven by the demands of the free market (those who can pay) and the other half of the service will be for the benefit for those who cannot pay. Are these two mutually exclusive strands? Or could they feasibly work together?

What are folks' experiences in other countries?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/dec/27/cap-nhs-private-funds-coalition

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Re: Is a two tier health system a good idea?

posted at 28/12/2011 1:41 PM GMT on bmj.com

DrS

Posts: 1175
First: 25/1/2009
Last: 16/5/2012

The two-tier health service will end up reducing bed availability for those who cnat afford to go private. What happens if Granny needs her neck of femur operating on, but the theatres are full of cosmetic private patients?

On an interesting note - isn't it nice to see that being a member of the royal family entitles you to cherry-pick your hospital and I'm fairly sure avoid the 4 hour wait in A&E!

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Re: Is a two tier health system a good idea?

posted at 28/12/2011 4:07 PM GMT on bmj.com

John D

Posts: 838
First: 12/3/2010
Last: 15/5/2012

Unless they build as many beds as thay have already, then hospitals that want to go half private will short change their local population by 50%.
The only way this can be considered 'fair' is for the private beds to be in new build units attatched to the hospital, and for the extra facilities and staff to be extra to the existing complement.
This is more evidence of the Tory Way for the NHS - dilution, distraction, destruction.

John

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Re: Is a two tier health system a good idea?

posted at 28/12/2011 6:40 PM GMT on bmj.com

NCantley

Posts: 56
First: 23/12/2011
Last: 16/5/2012

I honestly think that privatisation will simply create an 'us and them' culture in the healthcare system. And even worse, it wont just be about who can/cannot pay for the treatment but the perceived quality of treatment that patients would receive.
I hope I am not wrong in believeing that the public perception is that private means less waiting times, longer consultation times and a more 'luxurious' (implied but not explicit) form of treatment compared to the NHS.
I believe it will do nothing but damage the system that was designed originally to be 'healthcare for all.' And Whilst a two tier system may not exactly change this ideaology in that everyone still can get cared for, the social divide in society that I believe the NHS has helped to cut down slightly (again I apologise for any naivity) will simply be opened up again like... an old wound (har har).

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