Letter

Do we get the health service we deserve?

Dear healthmatters — Your editorial on the future of the NHS (Apocalypse NHS, issue 14) was over sentimental about an institution that is second in popularity only to our dire, drab and redundant monarchy. Does coming in second to the Windsors tell us anything about the NHS?

A population that needs a mixture of fairy tale and feudal power relationships to sleep well at night might also value a Big Mother health service that sorts out our troubles without asking us to do much in return. The knowledge that unavoidable illness will not bankrupt me gives me an important sense of security that I do not want to lose, but where in Europe does that not apply, this side of the old Iron Curtain?

What is so special about the NHS? The fact that it treats the population like children, I think. If we had to think about what medical services we needed, and do something about it - even if that only means giving a pint of blood - ‘privatisation’ might not be on the cards.

We have all been kept out of the NHS, except as passive but grateful patients on production lines. The professionals like to hog the power, the unions want all work to be paid, with a union card attached for preference, and the politicians want a quiet life and not too much public argument.

‘Privatisation’ may offer illusory choices and little more influence over what goes on, but the illusions are worth having when the reality is so grim.