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!

Im betting Xenia doesnt do anything as common as shit, she fluffs butterflies and glitter and her knickers always smell of lavender

Yes medical insurance, like any insurance, won't usually cover anything that is a cert they will have to spend lots of money on.

if you are ill, and need it, generally medical insurance is either a. not available or b. prohibitively expensive

Oh right, misread that sorry Riven

Yes riven, exactly.

People often go on on these boards about people having a sense of entitlement and isn't it terrible.

But actually when it comes to something like schooling you need people to feel entitled, ie entitled to a bloody good standard, to galvanise them into actually doing something. And of course very successful people are often the sort of driven types who when they take a project on, really bring about change. It's exactly why all these people going into the private sector takes something from the schools.

But yes if I were a very successful person I would probably be happier to send my kids private (where standards are excellent because of competition and because all the parents are shouty ) as why would I spend my time and effort bringing up the standards at the local comp so that boggins from teh estate can do well and take the jobs normally earmarked for posh people.

It's never going to happen.

pmsl at Xenia

I can slog my guts out from 6am until 3am as a carer and save the country £££££'s then get second class healthcare

actually though no bec uase when I die the country will have to provide uswith some services won't it? At a cost of furtehr ££££'s

The argument as I see it is the problem of stripping a bunch of largely motivated resourced students / parents from state schools V the benefits of less pressure on the system (taking into account the strtch some councils are having in the recession as private uptakes drops)

I cannots ee any argument for extra taxes for those who take up private- that's bizarre. But if they want a r3efund (as some request) that's also a no as it is there if you want it

I'd like to see total inclusion, nbut in reality were we able we'd take specialist private education for ds1 (asd) and ds2 (bright but dyslexic) like a shot; ds3 is in the most amazing snu state atm, but at 11 we'd be heading there (haven't written it off yet actually, things starting to pick up financially)

Sorry delete "posh" and change that to "privileged"

'she would have been head of the board of governers, sacking crappy teachers, calling her contacts for equipment, personally pulling up the wayward children by the bootstraps...' thats exactly what BIL did when his dad reneged on his offer to fund private (he though he'd only get 1 grandchild, ended up with 3).

Immediate action taken on faking religious adherence, governor place and creating a Jolly Good Rep (even if my mate is a TA at the school and hates evertything about it)

Message withdrawn

As an aside from the usual private/ state ed debate, I've always been under the impression that opting for private healthcare means you are bumped up the consultant's list, leaving NHS patients behind.

Certainly my NHS consultant was the one who scanned me privately when I opted for antenatal tests not provided by the NHS.

Does this mean he splits work NHS/Private and because there are fewer private clients, they srecseen more quickly?

And doesn't this then impact on NHS patients?

There are very strict rules in the NHS about that sort of thing and most consultants do not do a lot of private work for various complicated reasons.

I don't have the interest or time to get involved in schools. I'm delighted that parents aren't roped into private schools. Parents are often pretty bad at knowing what children need. What uyou need is a good private school keeping the parents out with their meddling and amateur view that they know all about education and instead let the private school get on with educating and the mothers on with earning their alpha crust.

bloss rich influential people don't use the NHS.

Or if they do they get a totally different service to the plebs.

Do you really imagine that if Lord Bongle needs an operation he goes to his GP, onto teh waiting list with everyone else, and then into a normal ward at the local hosp? Of course not.

He either goes private.

Or he goes NHS and is fast-tracked, sent to the best consultant at the best and cushiest hospital etc etc.

I'm surprised anyone would think anything different.

And don't forget that in the UK the poor are obese and live on junk food and are always ill but the rich eat well stay slim live longer and simply do not need as much medical care. I haven't been to a doctor for two years for example. My spinach is cooking as I type....

Um

The name "fat cats" didn't come from nowhere.

Xenia - I think you are winding us up now

Course she is

I wish I could poke Xenia. Everso gently of course, but just to see if she is real!

Message withdrawn

Doesn't cooking spinach remove all the nutrients?

Tsk. Might as well have a bag of chips. With gravy.

That's not the case - there are exceptions eg transplants are not available privately. Apparently there is no paediatric ICU either. But my health insurance covers full premium oncology care. There is a huge private oncology hospital round the corner from here.

As I understand it, consultants have split time to dedicate to their private practices and NHS work. So far as possible they don't overlap. Going private doesn't bump you up the NHS list. It's an entirely separate list.

In general, the people who provide private medical care are the same people who provide NHS care. So as they will give private patients longer consultations etc. it is placing extra strain on the NHS, compared to if people were treated within the NHS.

IMO it makes more sense for the people who can afford private to do so so there is more in the pot to go around

Can the NHS really afford for no-one to go private?

if you go privately you do get "bumped up" in terms of initial referral, but once diagnosed the actual medical care is the same its just the housekeeping and extra comforts that are better.

Yes it would be nice if we all could see a consultant within a week with our minor niggles, BUT if everyone went NHS how would that happen? the NHS que would just be longer surely? As mentioned before there are loads of restrictions on NHS constants doing private work. its not as if consultants are leaving people bleeding in theatre everytime they get bleeped by their private patients!

going private does everyone a favor because those who go private are still paying into the NHS at the same time, just not using it!

and IMO the nurses who go into private health care WOULD NOT still be in the NHS if there was no private health care! All of the ones I know who went private, it was that or a total career change, they had had enough of the NHS, they were leaving anyway.