by Author Name Withheld 125

Created on: April 27, 2009   Last Updated: March 17, 2010

... from a British perspective. Or, why Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a model for Socialized Medicine in the US.

The health system here in the UK is not perfect, far from it. Founded in 1948 by the Labour-run Government led by Clement Atlee, it formed the backbone of sweeping social and welfare reforms in the post-war era. Today, the National Health Service (NHS) is a huge, almost-unwieldy beast that consumes billions of pounds per year (92bn in 2008). We pay for it, all of us, in one shape or another.

Through a system called National Insurance (NI) where a portion of our earnings are taken out of our payslips, the NHS is funded by the public. It's called Socialized Medicine and while a tax by any other name, there's national acceptance to this method of funding here in the UK (with an approval rating of over 90% according to the BMA). Respected former politician and gifted orator, Tony Benn, iterates this point by claiming succinctly there would be a revolution if the NHS were ever to be privatized. I'm sure he's right, there would. But more importantly, the NHS DOES work despite its imperfections and as a UK citizen who has had cause to use it on more than one occasion, I'm glad it's there.

The core principle of the NHS is thus:

"The NHS is committed to providing quality care that meets the needs of everyone, is free at the point of need, and is based on a patient's clinical need, not their ability to pay. The NHS will not exclude people because of their health status or ability to pay."

We can walk into any hospital or doctors surgery and receive treatment for whatever may ail us and it won't cost a penny. It's already been paid for by ourselves and everyone else. Thanks to subsidized prescription charging, no-one has to pay more than a few pounds to the pharmacist for whatever medicine is required for the treatment. And only then if you are in gainful employment. The staff, from the humblest porter to a top surgeon are undeniably dedicated and professional. More so, while the standard of service is quantifiable by government targets of expectation the actual administration and management of the NHS is apolitical. That is, without political interference, as it should be. As mentioned, it works.

I love the popular TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. There's something about Ty Pennington's charm and enthusiasm and the whole scale of the show that makes it essential viewing. While the mawkish nature can sometimes be off-putting to the British sensibility,

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