Policies - Health

“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, took to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:34

The National Health Service

The spiralling cost of the National Health Service (NHS) is a
vexing problem for all politicians, regardless of their political
persuasion. Indeed, Oliver Blanchard, the International Monetary
Fund’s economic counsellor, recently warned Britain that the
current state of affairs is unsustainable, noting that “… that
means reforms of the healthcare system. These reforms have
basically to be confronted.” The Christian Party is prepared to
do just that and confront reforms of our healthcare system head
on.

A totally private NHS would result in a reduction in health care for many. A
totally publicly funded NHS will ultimately bankrupt the nation. The Christian Party
believes that a third way is the answer. A third way based on accepting the idea
that private ownership of formerly state owned hospitals and other healthcare
facilities does not have to mean the destruction of the NHS.

The Christian Party supports the concept of the NHS as a safety net of health care
provision for all ‘free at the point of need’. However, the NHS is too big. As with
all oversized organisations there has been an exponential growth in the number
of bureaucrats and managers running the NHS. This is not good. The allocation
of limited resources requires proper stewardship; particularly relief from costly
over-management, the elimination of waste and the exercise of greater efficiency.

The Privatisation of Hospitals at the Service of the NHS

We must separate conceptually the idea of public ownership and public
service. Many private companies provide vital public services. The job of
Government is not to do everything possible, but to ensure that everything
possible is being done. The Christian Party recognises that the state does not
have to own hospitals and other healthcare facilities to have a national health
service. The privatisation of the railways did not bring national rail services to an
end; neither would the selling of hospitals and other healthcare facilities put an
end to the NHS. The privatisation of British Telecom did not destroy the national
telephone network; neither would the privatisation of hospitals and other healthcare
facilities destroy the NHS.

The total value of NHS land and buildings stated in NHS balance sheets is
approximately £38 billion. The annual turnover of the NHS is just under £100 billion so the value of equipment and goodwill could be worth an additional £50
billion. Government plans to limit NHS asset sales to just 20 per cent of land and
buildings will not meet treasury expectations, and will simply be political window
dressing. The Christian Party believe that the selling of state owned hospitals and
other healthcare facilities will lead to hospitals being run in a more efficient and
effective manner, and also raise as much as £88 billion of badly needed revenue,
which would pay off 10 per cent of the national debt in one fell swoop.

Under the Christian Party model privately owned formerly state owned
hospitals would remain NHS hospitals as they would provide the NHS medical care
‘free at the point of need’ that we so rightly value. The difference being that such
hospitals would be contractors and the Government would be the customer. When the
Government is the customer – the customer (i. e. the Government) is King.
Thus the Government would retain effective control over the NHS. In fact the
Government would have even more control than it has today, as it will be able to
set the rules of engagement both as service purchaser and legislator.

Personal Responsibility

There is also a need for the acknowledgment of personal responsibility as well as
recognising personal need.

In terms of acknowledging personal responsibility the Christian Party recognises
two basic demands on the NHS. The first demand is from the natural wear and
tear of life. Eventually organs start to malfunction, cancers appear, and bones
become less robust. We all need medical attention sometimes as part of the
normal course of life.

Secondly there is the demand made on the NHS from irregular or illegal behaviour.
The Christian Party notes that alcohol and drug abuse impacts disproportionately
on the expenses incurred by the NHS for medicines, Accident and Emergency
(A&E) and other medical services. The drunken thug who starts a fight and ends
up in an A&E department requiring numerous stitches, or the drug influenced
driver who causes a pile-up on the motorway sending some to their graves and
others to intensive care, should they not foot the bill for treatment given?

Is it not wisdom for the mountain climbing expedition to take out medical insurance
to cover them in the event that they need to be airlifted to hospital from the
mountain peak?

Treatment of Economic Migrants on the NHS

In keeping with the Christian Party’s immigration policy all new economic migrants will be required to purchase and maintain health insurance for the duration of their stay in the United Kingdom. Evidence of such health insurance will be a visa requirement. Allowing health insurance to lapse will invalidate migrant visas and work permits. Health insurance companies will be obligated by law to inform the Home Office when a migrant’s health insurance policy lapses.

Health and Safety Regulations

The level of Health and Safety Regulations that now exist in the United Kingdom
has reached pharisaic heights. Life has its dangers. Whilst it is proper to avoid
recklessness, it is not proper to avoid life.

Furthermore, where there are regulations there are both compliance costs and
the cost of regulators. These costs can neither be justified nor sustained.

The ridiculous lengths to which the Health and Safety Pharisees will go in
the NHS is illustrated by the case reported in The Times newspaper of Helen
Slater, 43, who was told by Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to remove her crucifix
necklace because it posed a health and safety risk. Hospital officials claimed the
crucifix could be used as a weapon.

Parental Rights

The Christian Party believes that parents have the right to know what medical
treatment their child is having, and the right to decide what medical treatment their
child should have when medical options are given, so long as the sanctity of life
remains paramount at all times.

Christian Party Members of Parliament will:

Christian Party Policies

Download the Christian Party Manifesto for the 2010 General Election [PDF 5.08 MB]

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