78-12-A2
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British Health Care[edit]
Transcript[edit]Back in 1948 when Britain's Prime Minister Clement Atlee saw his dream of socialized medicine come true, he believed it heralded the beginning of an England so healthy, doctors would go out of style. Maybe that is extreme, but he was sure that the new system would bring such improvements in the health of the people that medical costs would become less and less. In its first year, however, the costs were double what had been anticipated and now, after 30 years, the program is the target of bitter criticism by doctors, patients and politicians. For a year now a royal commission has been studying the system to find a way out of what is openly called a health care crisis. With compulsory national health insurance being pushed by some of our own politicians we'd better learn what that Royal commission has learned. First, they concluded that hospitals are worn out and antiquated, lacking modern equipment. Half were built in the last century. Next, there is an enormous waiting list for what are called nonurgent operations such as hernia, arthritic joints or varicose veins. They may be called non-urgent, but more than 600,000 people are waiting and will wait for years for operations to correct such painful and disabling problems. A top-heavy bureaucracy has created an unworkable mass of red tape. There is anger and frustration among doctors and patients over the elaborate decision-making machinery which does everything, it seems, but make decisions. Top quality doctors are leaving England, or at least the National Health plan, out of sheer frustration. Their places are taken by foreign doctors and nurses, many of whom are not up to the level of training of the personnel they replace. Morale is so low among hospital personnel that strikes, slowdowns and outright rebellion are becoming commonplace among professionals once hailed for their dedication. Any figures the British system can point to as evidence of success (such as reducing infant mortality) are either matched or topped by other countries, including our own. One orthopedic surgeon called the 127 patients he has on a waiting list to tell some of them they may have to wait more than 30 years for their operations at the present rate of scheduling. This doesn't mean he's that busy -- it's the unavailability of operating room time and recovery beds in the ancient hospitals. Some of the patients he called were elderly people in wheel chairs waiting for replacement of arthritic hip joints so they can walk again. The surgeon was only able to do two such operations in all of 1977 because so little operating room time was available to him. The Royal commission is supposed to come up with some answers in 1977. Meanwhile I would think we have all the answers we need for Washington. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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