Gordon Browns big new idea for the NHS for 2008 is for patients to apparently diagnose and treat themselves. This is being packaged up in the form of a constitution for the NHS but the aim is that after having failed to meet the nations health needs despite a tripling in the annual NHS budget. The goal now is to reduce patients reliance on the NHS with patients having to increasingly pay for treatment privately.

Initially Gordon Brown aims to target the 'bad boys', namely those with bad habits such as smokers and the chronically obese, but as happens with any system, the list of those excluded will continue to grow ever larger.

The aim of the exercise is to save money, as throwing money at the NHS does not work, all that happens is that pay hikes are delivered to doctors, consultants, management and more with very little trickle down to actual patient care.

TV talk shows are regularly full of GP's blaming the government for lack of funding for x,y,z; but the truth of the matter is, the problems exist because the money meant for patient healthcare is gone right into their pockets in the form of tripling or more of salaries in line with the tripling of the NHS budget under New Labour. Now following Gordon Browns announcement breakfast time TV will be full of GP's blaming the patient's for becoming ill.

How many smoking cancer patients will now be left to fend for themselves?, whilst the NHS increasingly resembles a 2 million strong voting mafia to ensure that they are able to hold governments to ransom for a continuing bribe of £110+ billion a year for their votes ? With very little accountability or competency in the delivery of services.

Though on the bright side, the NHS staff are barely able to competently perform the most basic of hygiene which results in thousands of avoidable deaths every year. We may actually see an improvement in the health of the nation if a great deal more patients pay for competent private diagnoses and treatment. Though this means that Brit's end up paying twice for healthcare. Once towards the incompetent NHS and again for competent private GP services and hospital treatment.

The NHS needs to be privatised, GP surgeries need to be privatised so that patients can walk on mass to those that are able to provide competent diagnoses. Increased competition will give a kick in the pocket of incompetent of GP surgeries which according to an ongoing market Oracle poll number some 15%. Rate your NHS GP Surgery with a further 15% disappointed at the quality of service.

A privatised system where money talks is far better than patients attempting to confront a system where the patient does not stand a hope in hells chance in their quest for competent healthcare. After all we saw in Doctor Shipman how an NHS GP can literally get away with the murder of hundreds of patients before anyone even lifts an eye brow !

As I wrote some 8 months ago Britain's NHS - Free for ALL but Worthless for Many! . Until the whole culture is changed, where the doctors and consultants stop considering patients as payment free nuisance's to be endured during a shortened working day, then the NHS does not deserve to survive in ANY form. Instead, if the patient holds the £30 or £40 that the GP receives per consultation in their hands, then perhaps the quality of diagnoses will improve over the present 2 or 4 minutes of worthless shoulder shrugs and repeated misdiagnoses that passes for the current typical quality of NHS GP services.

Every NHS patient should take the opportunity to pay £50 to £65 for a private GP consultation, to see what the difference is between someone that recognises the value of taking the time to perform a competent diagnosis and someone who see's the patient as an ATM card to quickly swipe in and out of the door with a worthless comeback later diagnosis.

By Nadeem Walayat

Nadeem Walayat has over 20 years experience of trading, analysing and forecasting the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. We present in-depth analysis from over 100 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets. Thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors before engaging in any trading activities.

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