Five Points: Reforming Healthcare in Britain I expect it would be fair enough to describe the current UK NHS as near communist in its ideals! Actually it is arguably a good system in desperate need of more funding (which it appears to be getting) more local accountability (which the governement has recently tackled head on with new legislation to set up foundation hospitals) more availability accross the country of new medications (which www.NICE.org.uk is addressing), more national standard checking and inspection (which CHI has begun in earnest to do (believe me trust chief executives tremble at CHI's visit) but sadly most of all more doctors, more nurse perscibers and more nurses (none of which look very likely in the short term!)

There is still a major injustice in treatment allocation going on still in terms of post code lottery and dare I say it, hospitals in wealthy areas certainly appear better resourced than those in poor ones in general.

I do hope the NHS improves and believe that some of the governments methods will deliver some significant changes. But I do sleep a bit easier at night now I have joined my new companies private healthcare scheme!