Great Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) was created on July 5, 1948. As with all government programs, bureaucrats underestimated initial cost projections. First-year operating costs of NHS were 52 million pounds higher than original estimates1 as Britons saturated the so-called free system.
Many decades of shortages, misery and suffering followed until 1989, when some market-based health care competition was reintroduced to the British citizens2.
Unfortunately for those requiring care, a mostly socialist health care system still has problems. The articles and commentaries in this section identify some disasters caused by government intervention in the British health care system.
Hospitals curb caesarean births – cost too much
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5734096.ece
The Sunday Times February 15, 2009
Only five out of 51 hospital trusts pass hygiene test, say inspectors
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/24/mrsa-hospital-hygiene
- Sarah Boseley, November 24, 2008 [Guardian Unlimited]
Heart patients dying due to poor hospital care, says report
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jun/04/nhs.health2
- Sarah Boseley, June 8, 2008 [Guardian Unlimited]
NHS dentistry loses almost a million patients after new dentists’ contract
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4073515.ece
- David Rose, June 6, 2008 [The Times]
Private healthcare managers could be sent to turn round failing NHS hospitals
- Philip Webster, Political Editor, and David Rose, June 4, 2008 [The Times]
Cancer patients ‘betrayed’ by NHS
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4040168.ece
- Sarah-Kate Templeton, June 1, 2008 [The Times]
NHS scandal: dying cancer victim was forced to pay
- Sarah-Kate Templeton, June 1, 2008 [The Times]
Pensioner, 76, forced to pull out own teeth after 12 NHS dentists refuse to treat her
- Olinka Koster, March 26, 2008 [Daily Mail(UK)]
Dental patients face care lottery
- March 26, 2008 [Metro(UK)]
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