"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 02:13:13 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
With the exception of services such as defence, emergency services,
judiciary and others of that ilk, there is no need for government
involvement beyond making sure that there is directed funding for
those unable to make their own arrangements to be able to obtain them
- e.g. healthcare and education vouchers.

Why not privatize things like defence? After all, it's a major profit
maker for the private sector. Regardless of how efficient they are. And
they often aren't.

True, but it's normally something where the delivery has to be
co-ordinated on a national level for operational reasons in time of
conflict. That's why I also excluded emergency services. The
judiciary represents a method of maintaining a stable society -on an
distant basis, a part of democracy itself and so a special case.


But basic services such as health, education and



Beyond that, I see no reason for national or local government to have
an involvement in delivery in areas like healthcare, education and
pretty much everything else.
All of these when government operated do a poor job of customer
service and are poor value for money for the user and the taxpayer who
is funding it.,

You'd have to define 'poor value' For the rich maybe. For the poor,
invaluable. And that's what a decent society should be about, IMHO.

I think that it's poor value if compare with hospitals and primary
care in other countries. If I want appointments for diagnosis and
treatment in the public sector I have to wait until it suits them and
then be expected to be grateful for what I get.

You always will have to do that, unless you run your own health care system,
if yopu want an apointment on Monday the 1st and 10:30 you won't get it if
someone else has already reserved it, the problem is not enough mony is
spent (or it;s being spent in the wrong places) within the NHS.

Look at the Frinch health service, one of the best in europe (and free at
the point of use), but the French tax payer has to dig a bit deaper. If the
back room admin waste was cut away, such as the internal market, and the
runing of the hospital / wards were placed back into the hands of front line
staff (in the most) more mony would bve advailible for front line staff and
or more hospitals etc.

snip

I completely agree that a decent society should have a means of
providing healthcare for all, including the poor and vulnerable. I
was careful to say that.

No you didn't, you made a point of making it a charity, something that you
would need to be eligible for rather than a rite...

In other words, everybody should receive "money" in the form of
vouchers or equivalent to spend on healthcare and on education.

So you want yet another layer of HMG interference !

Unfortunately I do think that some method of control is needed because
there will be peoplw who given money instead would spend it on other
things and not cover themselves.

Perhaps there should just be an opt out system for people like you, if you
need health care then you ring for your private doctor, even if it's an
emergency, even to the point of not being scrapped up off the road ?


Everybody should be provided with enough voucher cover to get at least
as good a service as they get today and probably better because of
there being more providers being encouraged into the sectors.

There is, it's called the NHS, or private medical insurance.


People wishing to top up their voucher with money or insurance because
they'd like a private hospital room or an appointment at a different
time or a more suitable school should be able to do so. As it is
today, to exercise choice in education I have to pay twice and for
healthcare three times.
I'm not saying that I mind contributing to the common good, simply
that I would like a choice on what I derive from that common good and
to actually get something in return for my payments.


You do, you get a free basic service, if you choose not to use it and pay
for an alternate service then that *is* real personal choice and you are
exercising it.