Give us your wonga to keep the NHS longer

[vetran]

BBC News - Should we pay a monthly membership fee to the NHS?

WTF?

Good idea/we should be glad to pay more/ loony lefties won't get any of my cash?

[original PM]

BBC News - Should we pay a monthly membership fee to the NHS?

WTF?

Good idea/we should be glad to pay more/ loony lefties won't get any of my cash?

I thought we did and it is called NI/Tax?

[oscarose]

I thought we did and it is called NI/Tax?

+1

[The Spartan]

But what about those who couldn't afford to pay £10 a month?

[doodab]

More to the point will a tenner a month actually cover the cost? I think not...

[Troll]

Frail elderly people, those with chronic conditions or mental health problems and those developing obesity and life-style related illnesses often receive very mediocre care.

Valid points - but don't like the sound of these:

Elderly people, the biggest consumers of healthcare, could contribute more, albeit after they die: it cannot be fair that just 3.5% of the annual 500,000 deaths lead to payment of inheritance tax.

The membership fee is just the beginning of our plans to expand the tax base for health care

No mention of the recent influx of immigrants given instant free access to first world health care often to correct congenital defects - or the health tourists

[VectraMan]

But what about those who couldn't afford to pay £10 a month?

What about those who can't afford to pay Council Tax/PAYE/NI/VAT/Car Tax/Telly Tax/Petrol Tax/<insert your favourite tax here>.

Charge people a small fee to use it perhaps, but what's the point in introducing a new tax to pay for something that's already paid for out of tax?

[sasguru]

We need to move to a system more like Germany and France - mostly insurance based. People seem to be much happier with the Health Services there and they seem to have better outcomes than the UK, particularly for diseases such as cancer - diagnosis is quicker and hence survival rates are higher.
A centrally funded system may work in smaller countries like Scandinavia but not in a large one like the UK.
Most people being complete morons though, changing the NHS is a political hot potato that no party can contemplate doing.

[The Spartan]

We need to move to a system more like Germany and France - mostly insurance based. People seem to be much happier with the Health Services there and they seem to have better outcomes than the UK, particularly for diseases such as cancer - diagnosis is quicker and hence survival rates are higher.
A centrally funded system may work in smaller countries like Scandinavia but not in a large one like the UK.
Most people being complete morons though, changing the NHS is a political hot potato that no party can contemplate doing.

How do the poor in France and Germany afford healthcare?

[sasguru]

How do the poor in France and Germany afford healthcare?

Not sure, but its not like the US is (or was) - everyone gets treated.
It's just that their whole system is not centrally funded like ours.
Did you know it's pretty normal in a French hospital to get a room of your own?
Don't know how they do it.