The NHS and Ugly Bribes

A few posts ago I pointed out how Gordon Brown and cohorts were peddling a series of little bribes to key groups of swing voters. Roughly one a week. But I never thought that even our Magnificent Citizen One would sink as low as this.

His target this week is cancer patients. The offering is treatment in the community with a dedicated nurse. Although, he has been in office for thirteen years, this “good idea” has obviously not been a priority until now.

There is a big issue here. It is avoided by all parties. This is whether politicians, especially dishonourable one like Brown, should ever control what the NHS spends its money on.

This would not be an issue in France or Germany. There, politicians have much less say or control over their national health care systems. Incidentally the French and German health care systems still knock spots off ours. That is not because of the medics or the money spent. But it is a lot to do with the politics, spin and bureaucracy. Not to mention the bright little ideas spawned by the likes of the Great Leader. Especially when he needs to buy a few votes.

What would really get my attention would be if somebody stood up and announced that they were going to remove the NHS from political control. Then Brown and others would not be able to use it like a political football.

If freedom from political control is good enough for the Bank of England and even the Great and the Good at the BBC then why should our health service suffer the indignities of the dirty little publicity stunts of Gordon Brown?