Infinite MonkeysMy wife's family has experience with Great Britain's terrible socialized health care system. The lovely Jackie's aunt died of cancer in the Shetland Islands because, well, she didn't have the kind of service and care you get in even the worst HMO in America. That tragic story is told thousands and thousands of times in the UK. And now comes word about the latest efficiency report about Britain's health service.
An excerpt:
Cancer patients are still waiting up to seven months for treatment.Patients are supposed to be treated within 62 days of urgent referral.
But figures out yesterday showed only three areas in Scotland were meeting those targets every time.
In the worst cases, sufferers were kept hanging on for 220 days.
"Sicko," indeed.
I love, however, in a macabre way, how the National Health Service bureaucrat explains that the government that caused this catastrophe is on the case.
Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon promised to take action.She said: "It is vital patients get the best treatment, appropriate to their needs, as quickly as possible.
"I have demanded weekly reports on progress from all health boards to ensure they get on track to meet the target."
Yes. Weekly reports. Demands. Action!....and more death while the government figures this out.
Posted by Dr. Zaius at August 16, 2007 10:23 PMDon't forget that "Hillary's America" is also "Mitt's America" and, to only a modestly lesser extent, Rudy's and Barack's. It's also at least one of John Edwards's Americas, although I'm continually confused which one. The point being, universal health care, the kind that results in over-managed under-performing abominations like the ones described above, is unfortunately becoming a bipartisan issue.
Posted by: Monkey RobbL at August 28, 2007 12:01 PM