Surcharge for unvaccinated people needing hospital treatment for covid

[Bwix]

I’m just reading in the Times this morning how much cancer care, treatment of kidney and heart disease and organ transplants are being delayed and disrupted due to the strain on the NHS by unvaccinated patients. Of people needing the most intervention, 90% are unvaccinated.

Not all of these will be unvaccinated for medical reasons. We have had vaccines available for all adults for months now. I think it is reasonable for people to decide not to have a vaccine (just as they might want to drive fast without a seatbelt or climb a mountain face without a harness). But there should be a consequence that they face as individuals, as a result of that decision: that if they need care as a consequence of something they could have prevented, that they pick up the bill.

I’m really upset to know that friends and relatives with cancer may die as a result of their treatment being delayed, and it’s due to strains on the system that could be avoided.

@SW1amp
Thanks for that, did the article have a link to the NHS England data?

[quote kowari]**@SW1amp
Thanks for that, did the article have a link to the NHS England data?[/quote]
No, have you ever read a newspaper? They don’t link to data sets from named public bodies

The article goes on to say this though:
“ Between July and November, NHS England said that 150 patients were referred for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or Ecmo, where blood is cycled through an artificial lung machine before returning it to the body. Of these patients, only 6 per cent had been fully vaccinated.

The treatment is usually reserved for younger patients and is a last-ditch effort to buy their bodies time to recover from the virus.”

As much as I'd rather people were vaxxed (where possible), a surcharge for unvaccinated people sets a dangerous precedent that those with other preventable conditions may forfeit their right to NHS funded treatment. Not comfortable with a healthcare system that runs on the idea of deciding who deserves their funded treatment, and who doesn't.

No, have you ever read a newspaper? They don’t link to data sets from named public bodies
It was just a question. I've tried to find the data online and haven't been able to.

@Ylvamoon

Where would you stop? Diabetics type 2? Smokers? Problems with jonts due to extreme sports?

You do realise type 2 can be genetic right? Same as gestational diabetes. I guess that just proves your point more though. Yeah, it wouldn't be fair!

Vaccine passports seem like a sensible halfway house.

I do wonder if the anti-vaxxers would refuse the new covid anti viral drug? At the point patients would receive it, they would already be infected with covid and taking it would prevent severe illness. Would the fear make them take it or would they stick to their guns and refuse…? Honestly curious to see how it plays out.

Medical treatment is being delayed to focus on vaccine roll out, nothing to do with hospital beds. They are putting all NHS staff and resources into vaccinating people. But let's all blame the unvaccinated...

So should there be a surcharge for smokers? How about overweight people who have health issues? Surcharge for maternity services - you don’t have to get pregnant, we do have contraception. You are being ridiculous

@Hesma

So should there be a surcharge for smokers? How about overweight people who have health issues? Surcharge for maternity services - you don’t have to get pregnant, we do have contraception. You are being ridiculous

There already is a surcharge for smokers in the form of 9.8bn of tax from them to more than cover the 2.5bn cost to the nhs.