Thread by @danielgoyal

Why are so many willing to let the NHS go under?
I have found a lot of bad assumptions at the heart of those who want to see the NHS fail and a new system take its place. A few tweets to add to the debate..
#YourNHSNeedsYou
#SaveOurNHS
@NHSMillion
@EveryDoctorUK

Some argue that no health system has copied the NHS.
The reality is that most high-income countries have copied the NHS-model and have a very similar model. Few have however, managed to make healthcare provision the sole duty of the state...

Although in 2012, I believe this current government pushed through an amendment to make it NOT the responsibility of the Health Sec.
@JolyonMaugham
@ChrisCEOHopson

The core 'value' or feature of the NHS is that there is a national health system, NOT a series of completely separate and distinct hospital groups. I can refer to the national hospital for cardiology or neurology. I can and have spoken to the national expert about a patient...

In a US-model, each group tries to be as self-contained as possible. Provide the service to keep the income, of course. It is bad medicine. We do want actual experts; we want to be able to transfer patients to the place that best serves their needs. We want evidenced protocols

While there may be a mixed modelling for payment and even provision of health services in many countries, the core feature is that of the NHS: the national health service is the most dominant and where the expertise can be reliably found.

There should be debate going forward as to what model is best...BUT as it stands now, the way the NHS is being sold off - stealthily and in chunks -, there is a more US-style forming - disparate, with much worse outcomes.

Whatever model exists, the user always pays. In the US they pay twice as much for worse outcomes - cancer, heart, stroke, child mortality, maternal mortality, ...
Indeed, there are other models that have better outcomes for around the same public spend as the UK...

But without the choice...where the greedy, corrupt minority simply gouge themselves on whatever chunks of the NHS this Leadership can covertly break-off, then we simply form the entire system on profit and greed and to benefit a very small minority.

We need the open debate. And please bear in mind, we may chose to fund our health service differently, but we the people should not and need not lose access to all services and all treatment options currently available.

Lets have the debate. Let us all look at the facts and the different models. Sleep-walking into such a major decision without a clear plan, rarely ends well. But, be clear, it is up to the public to demand the open debate...I just work here.