Going private doesn't 'help' the NHS or state education??

[tryingtobemarrypoppins2]

I really don't know if it is BU to think this! Came up in a rather heated conversation over a meal out with pals last night.....

My thought was "thats a mad suggestion and private anything is unfair on those that can't efford it" but on listening to others soon realised I had no idea at all! Slightly out of my depth!

Perhaps this should be AIBU to vote when I don't know much about politics!

Ok ISNT - you're saying if everybody had to use the service then the rich/powerful would use their money/influence to ensure their local NHS/school was of a good standard. If it succeeded (and didn't just change the outcome for the individuals involved) wouldn't that lead to greater inequality in rich/poor areas?

Unless you're going to do this all through central organisation of money or through taxes, do you really think people are going to donate loads of money and let someone decide to spend it elsewhere?

Ok then you would pay someone else to go on at the school or donate money to see that it improved.

I doubt rich people got rich and stay rich by handing their money to other people to be spent on benefiting others.

I am not proposing this as something to do! It would never happen, and I'm not sure it would work anyway for loads of reasons. or even that it would be desirable.

I just seem to have got stuck arguing this point, which I'm sure is true, that if all teh super-powerful had to use the same services as everyone else, and they had to use their local ones, things would improve. iloveasylumseekers puts it better than me.

I'm not talking about middle class people, i'm talking about the people who live in a completely different sphere.

In a theoretical position where everyone had to use their local services, then of course people would ensure that that service was good so that they could benefit from it. If xenia had to send her children to the shit local school, then I am sure she would do something about it.

But yes in real life, if that happened, the influential people would simply but services abroad, or you would end up with a more marked difference in services between very well off postcodes and so on. It would be like it is now but even more marked.

morris why do you think there is a difference between the results in schools in wealthy areas compared to in poor areas?

The state pays a lot of money to train doctors,nurses an other healthcare staff and then the private sector reaps the benefits.

Most private doctors also work in the NHS, princessparty. If you see a doctor privately you are usually restricted to certain times because he will be working in the NHS the rest of the week.

nevertheless when I nursed (think Flo Nightingale ) there was much talk of contracts for nurses, Dr's and PAL's to commit them to X years within the NHS in return for training.

The Dr's that I know who undertake private work tend to see the "worried well" who quite honestly are a pain in the arse and waste NHS resources, so let them pay for their tests to tell them they are perfectly well or their child is attention seeking.

When I worked in the NHS - going back a few years now! Consultants worked 9 sessions NHS and one session private, which means the NHS needs to train 10% more consultants than if they did no private work.

Haven't read the entire thread so apologies if I cover the same ground.
If I send my DC's to an independent or home educate I am not using up finite resources that could be used by another. However my drive and committment to improve a school standards will not be used in the public sector. It depends how much you think public services are adaptable to their end users and can change in response to challenges and complaints in procedure! Some brilliantly motivated parent on the PTA could be a real force for good and could improve the whole system. If you 'opt out' the system wont' change.
As usual exprssed myself badly but I hope you understand the point I'm making.

princessparty that is assuming that the consultant would work 10 shifts for example, maybe they wouldn't or they do the 10th appointment in their own time.
There are "golden handcuffs" in that the NHS offers bursary's in the 4th and 5th year in return for a certain amount of service within the NHS.