The third largest employer in the world with more administrators than doctors! This got me curious so I stated scouring the web. Sure enough, Hannan is correct. Here's an older article from the U.K. Times Online: NHS is world's biggest employer after Indian rail and Chinese Army. Isn't such a big government-run system supposed to maintain quality while cutting costs? It does anything but. From the article:
Almost 1.3 million people — or the combined populations of Birmingham and Coventry — work for the NHS, which is one of the world’s biggest employers.
Since 1997, the number of NHS staff has risen by nearly 230,000, with a record 59,000 people — enough to fill Old Trafford football stadium — joining last year alone.
According to the latest workforce census, the NHS employs 386,400 nurses — matching the entire population of Edinburgh — 109,000 doctors and 122,100 scientists and other therapists.
A total of 1,282,900 people in England have jobs with the NHS: 2 per cent of the 30 million people of working age.
Only the Chinese Army and the Indian State Railways are believed to employ more people — with 2.3 million and 1.5 million staff respectively — but both workforces represent a far smaller proportion of the national populations.
John Reid, the Health Secretary, said he was delighted with the growth, but added that he was aware that more action was needed to tackle existing staff shortages.
Just keep in mind that the NHS is the U.K. "serves" a population of only 60 million. What would Obamacare look like with a population of 307 million? 1.3 million multiplies by 5. Obamacare would employ about 7 million people. It would make Britains NHS, the Chinese army and Indian rail pale by comparison - combined! What a monstrosity it would be. As with NHS, it would be topheavy, inefficient, and absolutely would have to lead to rationing of care. Not for government officials, but rather the little people. For the majority of the population, we will have to put up with absurdities like these (HT: Doug Ross @Journal):
Fury after hospital sends heart attack mum home to die: 8/3/2009 [Daily Record]
NHS 'failings' over elderly falls: 3/25/2009 [BBC]For a first-hand perspective of NHS care, read this over at Pajamas Media: British Health Service: A National Disgrace.
Learning disabled 'failed by NHS': 3/24/2009 [BBC]
Cancer survivor confronts the health secretary on 62-day wait: 3/21/2009 [The Scotsman]
Culture of targets prevents nurses from tending to patients: Patients Association, 3/21/2009 [Telegraph UK]
Children being failed by health system, says head of watchdog: Sarah Boseley, 3/21/2009 [Guardian Unlimited]
Our cancer shame: Survival rates still lag behind EU despite spending billions: 3/20/2009 [Daily Mail(UK)]
Failing hospital 'caused deaths': 3/17/2009 [BBC]
Health gap drive 'wasted money': 3/14/2009 [BBC]
Longer GP opening hours branded wasteful 'PR exercise' by doctors: 3/13/2009 [The Scotsman]
"Political meddling" threatens general practice, warns GP leader: 3/13/2009 [Management in Practice (UK)]
Children at risk through lack of training for doctors and nurses, report warns: 3/13/2009 [Telegraph UK]
Chocolate should be taxed to control obesity epidemic, doctors are told: 3/13/2009 [Telegraph UK]
1,000 wait for a dentist after just one NHS practice opens: 3/10/2009 [Daily Mail(UK)]
Study proves the folly of NHS Alzheimer's drug ban: 3/7/2009 [Daily Mail(UK)]
NHS charges to rise in England: 3/5/2009 [BBC]
Disabled children wait up to two years for wheelchairs: 3/4/2009 [Guardian Unlimited]
NHS under fire over waiting times: 2/25/2009 [The Scotsman]
Specialist nurses 'vastly overworked': 2/20/2009 [Harwich & Manningtree Standard]
Hundreds of operations cancelled at Lothian hospitals: 2/19/2009 [The Scotsman]
Stop asking for antibiotics to cure coughs and colds, Government tells patients: 2/17/2009 [Daily Mail(UK)]
Stroke services are 'UK's worst' : 2/17/2009 [BBC]
Hospitals curb caesarean births: 2/15/2009 [The Times]
"Obamacare would employ about 7 million people."
ReplyDeleteAnd as most government workers are affiliated with the SEIU, they would stand to gain 7 million more dues-payers making them the most powerful political organization in the country. The operation would be designed to create a huge pool of SEIU employees to act as a permanent fund raising arm of the DNC.
The SEIU already dumps millions into the campaign coffers of the Democrats, this could make it billions.
CP - That is a really astute point their, sir!
ReplyDelete.. not to mention the 7m cast-iron Democrat votes that will be created. That's exactly how Labour stay in power over here - get everyone working for the government - and why David Cameron is trying to keep Dan Hannan quiet.
ReplyDeleteWhere to start? As you may be aware, Daniel Hannan's remarks are widely seen in the UK as a pathetic bit of attention-seeking by a very minor politician (a member of the European paliament, a pointless gravy train fuelled by vast amounts of taxpayers' money). Even his own - Conservative - party has disowned his comments.
ReplyDeleteHannan apparently saw the wave of hysteria being whipped up over healthcare reforms in the US as one on which he could take a free ride. Unfortunately for him, there is a deep well of affection for the NHS system in Britain, based on people's experience of actually using it.
Yes, it could be improved. But the vast majority of Brits are staunch supporters of a system that gives generally excellent care for relatively low cost. The proportion of GDP spent on healthcare in the UK is about half that of the US - despite the fact that the NHS provides a genuinely universal service, free to all at the point of use.
My own experience of NHS treatment in Britain has been extremely good, and several members of my family owe their lives to prompt, expert and well-resourced treatment.
I've no idea whether President Obama's proposals for US health reforms are based on the British model. I exect he's also looked at the rather different public heath systems operated successfully by other countries, and he would be sensible to draw on the best aspects of each of these, as well as on elements of the US system that currently work well.
Of course, the American people will decide whether or not they want to change their present healthcare arrangements. But I hope that in doing so they will not be swayed by ideolgically motivated misrepresentations of what happens in other countries.
- Tom Scott, UK
Tell that to the cancer-stricken over in your country, as the survival rate is far below what it is here in the U.S. Or tell it to those that come here from the U.K. to get treatment that they had to wait months or years for over there. Good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but you quite clearly know nothing about the NHS. We have an amazing system that cars for EVERYONE in our society and that is why the vast majority in this country love it and why Daniel Hannon's (a insignificant minor nobody) comments are being disowned by even his colleagues.
ReplyDeleteThere are only two things for sure about our NHS.
ReplyDelete1. It is very expensive
2. It is enormously popular.
Lets put it this way - Nobody in Britian - other than David Hannon obviously - looks to the US system as a viable alternative.
What does that tell you?
Brits are really really angry at the moment about having our National Health Service slated by ignorant Americans and we consider David Hannon a dirty little rat and a traitor.
I whole wholeheartedly agree with Tom Scott, 30 years in the UK and always received first class treatment. It is an amazing system and provides the same level of care for all regardless of Social status or income.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should take a look at your neighbors in Canada. British people who complain should also try living in another Country before bagging the existing system. It truly is the land of the pale faced moaners. Trust me five years in Australia you don't know what you lost till it's gone.
David Adealide