While this article is from a British paper and talks about health care in the UK, there are implications discussed that affect us. Even the Brits with their nationalized health care can’t provide everything.
(Times Online) Cancer Treatment – Privilege of the Rich? – “Cancer care in the 21st century delivers more hope for patients than ever before,” said Michael Atkins, president of the pharmaceutical medicine and research section at the Royal Society of Medicine. “Innovative drugs mean new cancer cures are possible. However, can healthcare systems contain the costs?” Only last week there was another leap forward when trials showed that a new drug against cancer of the cervix was effective in 100% of women.
If effective drugs emerge from the research and development in the pipeline, the cancer drug market could reach $300 billion globally by 2025.
The implications for the NHS are horrendous. Despite the greatly increased government spending on healthcare, NHS budgets are under pressure and several NHS trusts are in financial disarray. Can taxpayers foot the ever- growing bill?
This really isn’t news. John made the following post on how it’s nearly impossible to get state dental care in the UK.
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=1713
Blair promised no longer than a two year wait to get a dentist appointment. The fact that he failed isn’t sad. It’s the fact that he thinks a two years wait to see a dentist is a worthy goal. I’d consider two days to be something worthy.
I live near the Canadian border and have learned that socialized medicine doesn’t work. Our system doesn’t work. But at least we CAN get care if we have insurance or are willing to pay. And for the very poor, they immediately have to get life saving care.
National Health is a mess in need of a major overhaul. Anyone with wealth uses private physicians and hospitals, or seeks medical care off shore. The bigger problem is the economy in the UK can’t support the social state. The great wealth in Britain was built on her colonies, and it has been draining away since WWII.