EU to dismantle the NHS - Good or Bad?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7150879.stm

The EU are talking about allowing europeans to be treated where ever they like within europe, with their own government picking up to bill.

Good bye NHS - Hello private hospitals.

Answer 1

It may even benefit us,after all look at the NHS track record here,it's the lowest in Europe so why would anybody want to come here anyway when other countries have much better health care? Only problem you have to pay up front but get refunded and your travel costs so you need money to do this in the first place.

Answer 2

Heard this on the news, don't know about it being privatised but how many places in EU have any kind of decent medical health system? Ours may not be perfect, in fact needs an overhaul but can see people coming here because they won't get treated elsewhere. This is what happens when a non elected PM signs a document without any kind of consultation with the people of that country.

Its true that some people here have gone to Europe for treatment but come on how many compared with the swathes that will and have descended on the UK. And how is the monetary situation going to be sorted. This has all the hall marks of a complete f**k up with locals losing out. It already happens by the way, where many hospitals are owed million from people treated from different parts of the world who have come, had treatment and left without paying, citing that their governments will reimburse the hospitals, of course they don't. Where is common sense in all of this.

Answer 3

The difficulty here is we do not know how other countries operate public access to health care. We know that people who want to work in this country have to (to be legal workers) have an NI number. Once they are paying NI I understand that entitles them to access our health care system as any British citizen would even if they are not British. If that is not the case across Europe then we run the risk of 600,000+ registered foreign workers returning 'home' for medical treatment to beat NHS queues and draining the NHS of resources.
What safeguards or veto's are proposed I do not know but it is not difficult to get concerned that the British tax payer could end up funding the health care systems of the poorest countries in the EU whilst those who adopted a 'close our borders' approach (19 others) are protected.

We need to know a lot more before we get 'excited' but in principal it is daft anyway, all people need health care near to where they are. At a time when we are supposed to be tackling global warming to have people travelling many hundreds of miles to queue jump to get health care is daft. As far as access happens now the NHS do not turn people away.
They have a policy of treat first and ask later, which is something we should try to protect, despite the obvious opportunities for abuse by others, created by a government that promised joined up thinking but is unable to connect the two brain cells it does have.

Answer 4

We've had private hospital since pre-NHS. Nothing new there. As for the NHS being dismantled by the E.U, what a load of tosh, you really have misunderstood what is being offered. Interestingly, the Tory party are supporting the idea of the EU directive, all about freedom of choice! It's a good thing.
The sooner we are a United States of Europe and pool our resources together, the better for us all, and the better for world peace (as the USA won't always be the bully!)

Answer 5

I have one very simple question.
Why is there always a waiting list?
With a little more input the list would get shorter and eventually disappear.
Is it all a con by the Government to make us grateful for what we do get?
'Continentals' do not seem to have these lists and their hospitals are clean!
Stinking rotten management that's why we might have to go abroad to get treated.
Basically we are too small a Country to fight wars and give our money away to have a top grade NHS.
RoyS

Answer 6

I`m not sure of all the details but it might be a good thing .Quite a few people have been going to Europe for treatment anyway because of the waiting lists here for non emergency treatment (hip replacements etc) i think we should wait to find out all the ins and outs of it before passing judgements .Who knows it could be an improvement

Answer 7

"EU to dismantle the NHS"

No it isn't. What they are proposing is that if you have to wait too long, and the treatment is available elsewhere, then the NHS should pay for it there instead.

The NHS actually does this already in some cases.

Answer 8

Why not?it is a matter of costs;for example Germans go to Hungary for dental treatment and the difference in price cover their holidays as well...ditto for other places in Eastern Europe which are parts of European Union....may be that will cause other older and arteriosclerotic sysrems to change...

Answer 9

Bad but it is debatable about whether it would actually happen yet. But then again, Mr Bean has handed over yet more of our sovereignty and powers thats it wouldn't surprise at all if it did happen soon.

Answer 10

Ask Brown and his chinless wonders, they signed the treaty in Lisbon, Jason W