Why is it Scotland can afford personal health care for the elderly but England can't? THe situation seems similar in Canada in that the supposedly left of centre parties have actually done more damage often to medicare than the right.. The reigning federal Liberals pretend to be defenders of health care against reactionary premiers such as Harris in Ontario and Klein in Alberta but at the same time they themselves have underfunded the provinces for years. From the Herald UK..
Cheers, Ken Hanly Blair says taxes will go up for better NHS MICHAEL SETTLE TONY Blair last night signalled that taxes will rise in the April budget to help pay for an improved National Health Service. But the prime minister rejected introducing in England Scotland's system of free personal care for the elderly even though a BBC poll showed this to be the public's number one NHS priority south of the border. In a televised discussion which was part of the BBC's NHS day, Mr Blair said the April 17 statement by Gordon Brown, the chancellor, would be a key point in the government's efforts to revive the health service. He said: "In this forthcoming budget, there will be a very tough choice not just for the politicians but actually for the country. If we want sustained investment in the National Health Service over a period of time we are going to have to pay for it. "I believe we should find that money ... out of general taxation." He said the alternatives of "social insurance, a tax on wages" and "private health care, which means you pay out of your pocket, are worse. In my view a fairer and better system is through general taxation." Mr Blair repeated his opposition to a ring-fenced NHS tax despite the fact the BBC polls showed 69% throughout the UK wanted one with some 84% in favour in Scotland. The prime minister argued "if people are going to pay more tax for sustained investment to continue then they want to know the money they are paying in tax is going to the health service" but said this was different from "hypothecation in the strict technical sense". He said the interesting issue was whether people were prepared to pay more for a better health care system, which he believed they were. However, in polls that illustrate the mountain the government has to climb to convince voters they will turn round the health care system, only 14% said the NHS had got better under New Labour. Some 33% said it had got worse and 43% said it had stayed the same. The message was clear: a total of 76% believed that in five years of Mr Blair's administration there had been no improvement. Perhaps worse for the prime minister, who has repeatedly said his government would "suffer the consequences" at the next election if there has been no tangible improvement in the health care system, only 32% said they expected the NHS to be better by the time of the next poll, due in 2005/6. Some 23% said they expected it to be worse and 40% the same as now. On free personal care, he explained it would cost �1bn-plus to emulate the Scottish system in England. "We are spending that �1bn differently. Now we think it's better to put that money into helping people stay independent in their own homes. The �1bn over the next three years will help somewhere in the region of 130,000 people to do that." In the main poll of where people put their top five priorities, free long term care for the elderly was way out on top with 73,402, more than 50%. More pay for NHS staff received 28,434 votes, reducing waiting times for heart and cancer patients 17,292, improvement of accident and emergency departments 15,639 and cleaner hospitals 11,064. The prime minister insisted there were "huge challenges but there are also fantastic things going on in the health service". He also stressed he would rule out "more charges" for essential NHS care. Henry McLeish, the former first minister, who made free personal care of the elderly his pet project and successfully steered it through the Scottish Parliament, said the poll "reinforced that in Scotland we are progressive and leading the debate". Jess Barrow, of Age Concern (Scotland), said: "The rest of the UK has seen what Scotland can do and are now thinking 'If they can have it why can't we? ' -Feb 21st
