VAT on private health

[Simonandrod]

Am I right in thinking there isn't VAT on private health care? Is it completely unfeasible that it could be put on and money raised go to NHS? Or is it too complicated as so many people who use it have health insurance? Just interested

Not quite. For example: You would like my gall bladder taken out. Most people don't care when or where as long as it is safe. So Professor Bloggs works 3 days a week in the NHS and can whip it out for you in 10 months time. He also runs a thriving private practice and can take it out for you in his private practice in 2 weeks.

You get to jump the 'waiting for a gallbladder' queue. Yes - the NHS list and private list are different but the target we are all waiting for is the same thing ( a particular procedure/intervention/opinion).

Same as private school/state schools - different establishments but we are all trying to get an education for our kids.

Oh dear. Economic illiteracy summed up in one sentence.

I know - I work in private healthcare too. The vast majority of our surgeons work privately alongside their NHS practice but there is a small minority trickling in (usually only those who can afford to take a bit of a pay cut and are sick of working in dire NHS conditions) who work solely privately.

It is hardly a surprise there was going to be an election this year and people have been speculating on the date for months. If Labour were taken by surprised then they have no business running the country.

By calling a general election now a number of public sector pay rise decisions are currently on hold eg teachers

Does he? He’s a bright man who has had several stressful jobs and several years to plan for this. He just looks like somebody who doesn’t want to count his chickens and is fighting for every vote. Sunac on the other hand looks like somebody who couldn’t give a shit just blindly grasping at straws without even bothering to hide his own arrogance and privilege.

Why would they be stunned. They know how unpopular the Tories are and are far morning tough with real life . Why be on earth would you be worried about labour and not the Tories who literally have nobody left fit to govern.

Um I think the Tories have given us countless examples of cabinets and PMS not ready or even fit for service. I think labour are far more ready and better equipped .

I bet they would much prefer that things like pay rises, which probably would have been agreed at lower rate than wanted had been sorted before they come to power. Now it will be down to them, and there will be complaints, strikes etc because no funding to pay the rate people want. I bet they were hoping the Tories would get that flack. I wouldn't want that to be one of the first things on my to do list. People have a high expectations that things will be different but there isn't enough money to make big differences

I entirely agree OP. VAT on private healthcare should be imposed. I would for now exclude dentistry as it is impossible to get an NHS dentist in large swathes of the country. But once they recruit more dentists to training (whic they are singularly failing to do) the government should also ensure all private dentistry services are variable too

VAT doesn’t have to be 20%. Government could impose a reduced rate of course.

But it’s exactly the same as turning people with cancer away or never treating them at all because the list is too long?

Are you planning to magic these dentists up out of thin air?

Very well said.

But they are happy to charge VAT to people whose children have unmanaged SEN/are being bullied to the point of school refusal and move to private schools because they can't get a decent (even basic appropriate and safe) service in state schools...

We need to focus on improving NHS provision and state education, not punishing those who are falling through the cracks because of the chronic underfunding of the NHS and the state education system.

I'm afraid nothing can pay for the fact that people don't take responsibility for themselves. No amount of money or vat will solve this problem or be enough,

All this stuff and hand wringing about children having to have their teeth out. We all know why this is - parents feeding them sugar and sugary drinks and not teaching and enforcing teeth brushing.

Abs Labour want me to pay more tax for these feckless parents and they want the poor overworked teachers to do a parents job (after they've wiped their bums obviously because that's also now not a parents responsibility as it's just tooooo hard).

Sick of this bullshit.

This is going to be what happens if we demonise people who use private healthcare in this country.

www.nordorthopaedics.com/en/

It's already happened with IVF.