07 February 2009

How not to waste more taxpayers' money

In the US they are looking at the Canadian system of healthcare. They see some advantages. Here is one:

Each hospital in Canada gets a global budget, a set amount which is all they have to spend for the year. They don’t price things like bandages, drugs or even overnight stays individually. The cost for these things and for doctor service is negotiated in advance. (Source)


Isn't it strange that what we used to have in the UK is being seen by others as an advantage. Why are we fixing something that isn't broke?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh joy. A voice of reason and common sense in an otherwise mad world. Please don’t stop and maybe just maybe the idiots in charge will finally be replaced with like minded people. We can live in hope.

Rich

Dr Grumble said...

Unfortunately the changes in the NHS may now have an unstoppable momentum.

The market is still worshipped by fanatics with a religious fervour. To try and comprehend this madness, Dr G has read books on the market. The usual mantra is that market is always right. Many of these books barely concede that there can be problems with markets. And they deal with healthcare issues very badly and plainly wrongly.