Get Sick Quick

According to an article in the Guardian hospitals that don't get a high enough number of patients are likely to close.

The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt announced the idea as part of her NHS reforms, which also include allowing more private hospitals to do NHS operations and comes under the general banner of 'Patient Choice'.

So if a hosptial doesn't get many people visiting it, the new plans would mean the hospital could close - so if you like your local hospital you better start getting sick quick.

The new plans would mean that money for operations and treatment would follow the patient and would be paid to the hospital, private or otherwise, so obviously if people don't go to a hospital - because it's crap, or because it doesn't have good food - then it won't get money and won't stay open.

It would without a doubt mean more use of NHS hospitals to help waiting lists fall, but then they probably fewer cases of MRSA so it an only be good for the publics health - ideally we would have safe, healthy NHS hospitals with free care for all - but that is idealism and isn't likely.

Other bloggers talking about this story areThinking Nurse, The Welfare State We're In, whole lot of thinking and Diary of a Capitalist.

Other news sites, in addition to the Guardian reporting on this story include the Independent, Daily Mail, Sky News, Daily Express and BBC News.

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Health NHS MRSA Waiting List Patricia Hewitt