Would you pay an additional tax for the NHS?

[Whatisthis543]

I’m torn on this one, surely our taxes should cover a well funded NHS but it seems that they don’t...

Is that systematic I.e too much bureaucracy and poor allocation of resources (within the trusts and elsewhere) or is there genuinely not enough money with an ageing population and rapid growth?

Loving the NHS bashing going on here.
People truly believe all the crap successive governments peddle.

I hate to tell you this - its already being sold off, we are already prevented from offering the best treatments in a timely manner because of underfunding.
There will be no NHS 15 years. And I'm sure it'll still be the staffs fault because we 'mismanaged all that money!"

I (like many others on this thread) have dedicated my life to patients. Not the NHS. To you. And I have to fight for everything because it is ground down to the bone.
I'm off atm, I'm in my last trimester of pregnancy and pretty ill. And yet I continued to work until I couldn't walk because there is no one else to do my job (oh and pregnant women not doing f2f covid patients in the last trimester? Hahaha) and I'm terrified for those patients who will wait just a little longer because I am not there. How many cancers will take longer to be diagnosed because I am not there?
This is the way we all feel.
You'll miss us when we're not there/ left because of stress.
If you want it, you need to pay more for it. I pay for it in my taxes and in every other part of my life too.

The NHS has problems but inefficiency isn't particularly one of them. Read the report. www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/HEAJ6319-How-good-is-the-NHS-180625-WEB.pdf

The NHS needs a total overhaul, far too many managers not enough nurses, Dr's and support staff. It needs to be far more transparent about where and what money is spent on, maybe some procedures done away with to allow others to take place.
If these changes happened then yes I would pay more but until then no as it would go to more miss management

Sorry, that's 3 out of every 100 taxpayers who would be paying everyone's healthcare. Since there are a lot of people who aren't taxpayers, they'd be paying for nearer 200 people's healthcare, at a wild guess. (Can't be bothered to google the right figures.)

Loving the NHS bashing going on here.
People truly believe all the crap successive governments peddle.

Nothing to do with anything governments peddle. Many of us have seen first hand on multiple occasions over the years how shit the nhs is. I grew up in europe and the system there is so much better than the shitshow that is the nhs. By all means no one fight to change it just accept poor treatment that can potentially kill you one day then rock the boat.

The OECD has compiled data on administrative costs of different health care systems at
the ‘macro’ level – which captures the amount spent on planning, funding and monitoring
care, but not administrative costs within individual hospitals.
They found that the NHS spends relatively little on overseeing and planning care, relative
to other comparable systems. In 2014, the UK, Portugal and Ireland all devoted 1.5% or
less of their government or compulsory health care expenditure to administration. This
compares with an average of 3.1%, with 4.1% in France, and 7.9% in the United States.

No, I already pay a huge amount in NI and Tax each year but don't use the NHS when I have the choice.

Most high earners pay the most in Tax and NI but have private medical insurance so basically subbing a lot of other people which is fine as that's the UK system.

The French/Belgian/German systems are far far better - more efficient, better managed and effective.

@missbunnyrabbit

No!! Pay so much already! The NHS needs a big overhaul to make the use of money more efficient.

There are inefficiencies for sure, but the NHS still does a lot with a little relative to other countries. Many inefficiencies have nonetheless been identified and plans have already been made to address them, but the problem is that it is too understaffed and under resourced to roll out plans across the whole NHS. We spend almost the least per head on our healthcare amongst the G7 countries. We need to resource it properly and use that additional resource to roll out the innovations that will make it more efficient.

No. How about make all the people who owe tax, but don’t pay it, actually pay tax?

No.

Having worked for the NHS up until 6 years ago, no I wouldn't be prepared to pay a penny more for it than I already do, unless it has a serious overhaul, which won't happen.

At the hospital I worked, they need to sack about 40% of the staff and start recruiting again.

Too much spent on gender reassignments and other things and not on essential care, so no.

No, I wouldn’t. I pay 45% on some of my income, I of course use the NHS, but use private medical insurance when I can. I’m also paying for state schools I don’t use. I pay enough tax. DH lost his job over a year ago and I really can’t afford to pay anymore tax without making significant changes, like taking DC out of private school. Clearly this wouldn’t be a disaster, but I do my bit already.

@lockeddownandcrazy

Too much spent on gender reassignments and other things and not on essential care, so no.

Add IVF into that, too. If there isn’t enough money the NHS should be restricted to emergency and life-threatening problems, not lifestyle choices. Having children is a privilege not a right.

No, I will pay more tax when corporations pay their fair share and when there are less loopholes for the rich. There is enough money, it just isn't collected and distributed fairly.

No I think the model needs rethinking. A small fee ? £10 per GP and A&E visit. It's minimal enough that it's not much money to anyone individual but collectively makes a contribution. It also makes you think about whether you need to go.

Specialist care (consultant led cancer/ heart etc ) should be included on NHS.

There should also be factors such as if you don't contribute through NI then you get basic care but you get more choice / better range of care if you pay into the system (with the exception of a genuine disability where work is not possible).

Finally I think what is provided should be dependent on looking after yourself. Your weight / exercise levels / alcohol consumption / smoking.

Until what money the NHS currently has is better managed, I would not be willing to pay more tax.

we'll all be paying more tax - but the idea of much of the increase being farted away in additional admin of maintaining different restricted funds - No, absolutely not.

NI and PAYE being separate is a complete joke, merely adding to admin for employers and HMRC alike - to what purpose?

*lockeddownandcrazy

Too much spent on gender reassignments and other things and not on essential care, so no.

Add IVF into that, too. If there isn’t enough money the NHS should be restricted to emergency and life-threatening problems, not lifestyle choices. Having children is a privilege not a right*

If you stop funding IVF then you need to stop funding obesity related illness (type 2 diabetes, gastric bands, etc) as that is much more a lifestyle choice. Same for smoking.

In fact a lot of the very costly things to the NHS would be preventable if people ate well,drank sparingly and exercised.

No. Pay enough tax and NI. Would prefer to see less waste and corruption in the procurement chain.

I'd like to see money that's reserved for space exploration to be suspended . We don't need this right now. I'd also like aid to other nations to be suspended where they have a space exploration initiative.
I'd also like to see British citizens/companies taxed accordingly and to not be allowed safe havens for their vast incomes .

In fact a lot of the very costly things to the NHS would be preventable if people ate well,drank sparingly and exercised.

That’s why I would prefer an insurance-based system. Those who make healthy lifestyle choices will pay lower premiums and those who make poor lifestyle choices will pay more. There would be a lot fewer fatties and smokers if the the NHS wasn’t there to bail them out.

I think we need to look at a different model of providing healthcare. But on MN it always ends up with current NHS v an American style system where people die in the streets if they can't afford an ambulance.

But I think we should look at some of the European models but no way will any political party in the UK ever suggest it.

I would if necessary, but I'd like to see a reform of where our tax goes to first because I'm not convinced there isn't enough for the NHS, the government are just spending it in the wrong places.

It's not the answer. We got a letter from Hmrc once telling us how the taxes my fiancé pays had been spent over the last year and I can't remember the percentage but a ridiculously large chunk of it was 'business admin' or some bullshit. I'd never want us to pay more as I know a lot of it goes to waste but I obviously wish it was spent differently.

@Frazzle76

No-one is criticising any NHS staff. Nor am I seeing people 'believing Government propaganda' . People know of their own experiences. Time and time again - I'd say virtually every time I've had the misfortune to have to attend hospital either for myself (and I'm mid 50s, and have had various admission and out patient appointments) or with one of my 3 dc (over 24 years).
I could spend an hour making a list of unbelievable waste I've witnessed just over the last 5 years, but this isn't the point of the thread.
Overwhelmingly I'm incredibly grateful that we have the NHS, but that doesn't blind me to the fact that it could be vastly improved in so many ways. To my mind, those improvements would then make life so much better for ALL NHS staff, which surely is the same aim as you ? So many staff are working ridiculous hours (dangerously so, IMO) and under ridiculous pressure. Surely it would benefit the staff as well as the patients to sort out so much clear money and time waste that currently happens ?