One of the more odious aspects of rationed care is that, just like at the deli, waiting on line until one's number is called can be tedious. Unlike the line at the deli, of course, is what's at stake while you're tapping your feet:
"The most seriously ill patients in the NHS have become the victims of “neglect” as surgeons are forced to focus on hitting waiting list targets for pre-planned operations ... while the NHS has succeeded in reducing waiting times for pre-planned operations ... this has come “at the cost of relative neglect of the needs of the patients admitted as emergencies.”
Translated, this means that the concept of "triage" is taking a back seat to expediency. When the government runs health care, it's the bean counters - not the caregivers - that set the priorities, often to the detriment to those whose very lives are at risk.
It's simple supply and demand, really: when the government promises "free" health care to everyone, then everyone wants their piece of the pie. Of course, the supply of those able to actually deliver that care is finite, and so waiting lists become the de facto order of the day. What happens if you're in dire straits but have a high number? Well, the odds are you're not going to get the best of (or perhaps any) care.
This is, of course, a direct consequence of the nature of the Brits' system, and soon to be of ours. Not to be a tease, but our Resident MOM (Medical Office Manager) will have some words on this as regards the new ACO's (Accountable Care Organizations) shortly.
Stay tuned....
"The most seriously ill patients in the NHS have become the victims of “neglect” as surgeons are forced to focus on hitting waiting list targets for pre-planned operations ... while the NHS has succeeded in reducing waiting times for pre-planned operations ... this has come “at the cost of relative neglect of the needs of the patients admitted as emergencies.”
Translated, this means that the concept of "triage" is taking a back seat to expediency. When the government runs health care, it's the bean counters - not the caregivers - that set the priorities, often to the detriment to those whose very lives are at risk.
It's simple supply and demand, really: when the government promises "free" health care to everyone, then everyone wants their piece of the pie. Of course, the supply of those able to actually deliver that care is finite, and so waiting lists become the de facto order of the day. What happens if you're in dire straits but have a high number? Well, the odds are you're not going to get the best of (or perhaps any) care.
This is, of course, a direct consequence of the nature of the Brits' system, and soon to be of ours. Not to be a tease, but our Resident MOM (Medical Office Manager) will have some words on this as regards the new ACO's (Accountable Care Organizations) shortly.
Stay tuned....
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