NEVER believe a rumour until it is officially denied.
more ohn Major's government, stung by Labour's unexpected offensive, insists that it does not want to privatise the NHS, the more suspicious xeople should become This is even more true wher wesee now the toneare press ing hometheir Thatcherite NHS which have already marketised the service and set up opted out hospitals as self contained businesses.
Of course the Tories are not aiming at a fully-privatised US-style health care system: the US consumes more than double the share of national wealth compared to the NHS, and leaves 40 million people without health cover.
Ruinous
Even American employers, stung by the ruinous cost of private medical cover for theit employees, are no longer in favour of their system. A Chrys ler boss recently claimed that the company medical scheme adds $700 to the selling price of each car. Estimates suggest that if the US system remains unchanged, it could gobble over a tard of one by the year duou!
The Tories want above all to health, cut state spending on ; individuals to pay more. They also want to expand private provision and profitable openings at every Thatcherism alive and well in John Major's health reforms level of health care.
Long before the full of the NHS began in April, thick wedges of enterprise had been driven deep into vital services. vices and low-paid staff.
• NHS chiefs have been encouraged siphon off taxpayers' money into developing and refurbishing lavish private wards and wings, and medical firms. A key 'freedom' of opted-out Trusts is their checks and treatment. scope to switch NHS beds to private use without any public bill:
onsultation. Yet few NHS beds make a profit: many stay empty and lose money, since there is way for future Tory strategy. already huge over-capacity in More and authorities are closing down It says: 'BT believes that there is X-RAY how long wilt tidiese neer you?. well, their long-stay beds for the elderly and hiving off these patients to private, profit-seck ing nursing homes. There the fees are paid from means-tested social security income support, toppea up by newish authorities as a cheap way to get rid of the elderly West Berkshire DHA is setting the pace, with its plan to close down all its 200 long stay elderly beds by 1993, while two private numing homes are built on NHS land and a brand new NHSunit al Newoury is nanoca over to private management • Vital areas of health re search and treatment - notably on cancer and heart discasa - as well as front line services such as intensive care baby cots at Guy's Hospital, are increasingly funded from outside the NHS by charity appeals or private firms. IVF treatment is almost unobtainable on the NHS in London. In Kettering, sterilisation operations for women are only available privately; last January NE Thames Regional Health Authority published a list of non-emergency operations proposed no longer to provide on the NHS, forcing, patients to pay or go without.
Meanwhile soaraway charges under Thatcher and Major have been matched by the new 610 minimum charge for eye tests and astronomical bills for dental It is precisely these type of - paid only by those working age who are which point the Once the new 'market sys tem is fully functional, every ADMISSIONS Robin Cook For years the Tory right has ar gued that in-patients 'who can fford to do so" should pay ti otel' costs of bed and boar While in hospital. Once the full range of prices are clear, why not extend this, and follow the example of dental charges, by imposing means-tested fees for every treatment?
Threat
such substantial bills could press-gang TOTe cople into taking out pre-emp tive health insurance In this way the Tories could force Individuals to subsidise could also cash in at a profit.
Twelve years of Thatcherism have failed to persuade even one in eight of the population to take out medical insurance. But if Major wins another term, the bludgeon of means-tested charges could yet do the job.
Robin Cook and the Labour front bench are absolutely right to point the finger at the Tory drive towards privatisation of the NHS: they must not be allowed to retreat on this between now and the clection. coherent fighting strategy to defeat