I think in the liverpool care pathways scandal hospitals were financially incentivised to use it; I would prefer it if top doctors were in charge of the hospitals, making the key decisions on how the budget is spent, ditch the boards and cut the management by about 50% and reinvest that money where most needed.
I think they recently said the NHS would have to remove free staff car parking as it was only going to be a temporary measure during this virus, it's madness for average paid staff to be charged for parking. I don't know what they pay but if it's anywhere near what the patients are charged heaven help them, [ also it probably affects staff morale if a large chunk of their wage packet is going to NCP; a guardian article puts it at approx £2,000 a year for a nurse, I bet BUPA don't charge their staff
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When you look at the overall money spent and the amount of people treated through the whole NHS it isn't too bad, a private US style system would be enormously more expensive for everyone.
The last few times I had to use outpatients, the staff have a look of panic and alarm when you ask them a question, [as if the system is simply too complex ] then normally spend 5 mins looking blankly at a screen and getting frustrated pressing keys.
The situation when there is a 12 week delay to see a consultant, however if you are willing and able to pay, can see the exact same doctor next week at the local BUPA hospital seems wrong to me.
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