I used to think I was in favor of every possible step to reduce the burden of government spending.
- Are agricultural subsidies wasteful and corrupt? Yes, so get rid of the Department of Agriculture.
- Is Medicaid spending out of control? Yes, so cap outlay growth and block grant the program to the states.
- Has NATO outlived its usefulness? Yes, so let’s save money and bring troops home from Europe.
But I confess I’ve come across a budget-cutting strategy that even I can’t support. And it’s not in the area of national defense or public safety, which even I agree are legitimate functions of government.
Instead, I’m talking about the government-run healthcare system in the United Kingdom, which apparently is bribing hospitals to make greater use of the “Liverpool Care Pathway,” which is the UK version of a death panel. Here are some jaw-dropping excerpts from the Daily Mail.
Hospitals are paid millions to hit targets for the number of patients who die on the Liverpool Care Pathway, the Mail can reveal. The incentives have been paid to hospitals that ensure a set percentage of patients who die on their wards have been put on the controversial regime. In some cases, hospitals have been set targets that between a third and two thirds of all the deaths should be on the LCP, which critics say is a way of hastening the deaths of terminally ill patients. At least £30million in extra money from taxpayers is estimated to have been handed to hospitals over the past three years to achieve these goals. Critics of the method warned last night that financial incentives for hospitals could influence the work of doctors.
The use of CQUIN payments to encourage the spread of the LCP through the wards and to persuade doctors to meet Pathway targets was revealed in answers to Freedom of Information requests. Among trusts that confirmed the use of targets was Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which said that in the financial year which ended in March the percentage of patients who died on the Pathway was ’43 per cent against a target of 35 per cent’. Over the year the Trust received £308,000 for achieving ‘goals involving the Liverpool Care Pathway’. Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust had CQUIN payments connected to the Liverpool Care Pathway almost halved after failing to reach targets.
Unless, of course, proponents of bigger government don’t think bribing hospitals to hasten death qualifies as a “scare story.” In that case, I’ll give them credit for being consistent, but only if the political elite has to live (or, in this case, die) by the same set of rules.
For some reason, though, I don’t think the Paul Krugmans, David Camerons, and Gordon Browns or the world will be subjected to the same treatment as the rest of us peasants.
And that’s also an issue with Obamacare. When push comes to shove, I strongly suspect the politically well connected somehow will avoid any of the headaches that are bound to result from that costly legislation.
If rationing is going to happen, I’d rather it be the result of markets rather than connections.
P.S. Other horror stories about the UK health system can be perused here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
[…] shared numerous horror stories about that approach (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), but this […]
[…] shared numerous horror stories about that approach (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), but this […]
[…] you don’t believe me, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and […]
[…] you don’t believe me, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and […]
[…] click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, or here […]
[…] Here’s my collection of horror stories about the U.K.’s version of Obamacare: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here,here, here, here, here, here, here and here. By […]
[…] if I was part of a system that rewarded hospitals for letting old people die, I might be tempted to say that was a scary […]
[…] conclude that all the other horror stories we’ve previously shared (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) […]
If these papers are lying about the treatment, why doesn’t the government sue them for defamation? Let me guess, they don’t have the money for that, either. Krugman is a little gasbag who turned down Treasury when he was offered. It’s easier to pontificate in the paper than it is to actually drive the Treasury into the ground, plus you get to maintain the pretense that you know what you’re talking about. Remember, the stimulus didn’t work because we didn’t spend ENOUGH. Exactly, Paul, that’s what I was thinking too. (/ouch)
[…] shared a bunch of horror stories about the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (see here, here, here, here, here,here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) and I […]
[…] shared a bunch of horror stories about the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) and I […]
[…] shared a bunch of horror stories about the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) and I […]
[…] shared a bunch of horror stories about the U.K.’s government-run healthcare system (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) and I […]
[…] If you want more horror stories about government-run healthcare in the United Kingdom click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here […]
Dollars to donuts, the majority of American leftists/so-called liberals will not believe it. In other words, they will not want to hear it and will deny it off-hand.
[…] If you want more horror stories about government-run healthcare in the United Kingdom click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here […]
[…] you want more horror stories about government-run healthcare in the United Kingdom click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here […]
I never thought I’d EVER hear for see what I’m seeing now about wanting people to die. Where are we as humans and where are the ones I grew up with when we cared for the elderly because they were the ones that helped us grow up to be mature… ? I can’t believe we would watch them die from thirst or whatever or babies doing the same? This is like savages .. Where is God in our lives? In the lives of government people? I just can’t believe this and believe me, I don’t think they want to go through what they are telling us that must be done to us. I am definitely in Awe! This is just terrible stuff!! It is inhuman not human!!
[…] If you want more horror stories about government-run healthcare in the United Kingdom click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here […]
Dont believe everything you read in the papers – remember it was the British Press who blamed Liverpool fans for being drunk at Hillsborough and who tapped Millie Dowler’s phone and many other atrocities in the name of “truth” The misleading information published by them has since been taken up by various other media groups and it is now generally believed as the truth. They have played on peoples fear to sell more newspapers and not once tried to print a balanced view as this would then no longer be sensational.
At no time have they tried to portray the truth about the Liverpool Care Pathway. The document is a guide for general staff to provide good care to dying patients and their families. It does not encourage doctors to stop actively treating patients who can be treated; At absolutely no point in the document does it tell staff to deprive patients of diet and fluids nor does it force staff to “heavily sedate” patients so that they die quicker. If the Press had taken the time to look at the actual document they would have seen this for themselves and not printed downright lies. No doubt there are patients who have been mistreated – but so called carers can do this with or without a Pathway, in fact, this is more likely to happen without the it as the ethos of the Pathway is good symptom control and good communication with patient where possible and definitely with the family.
Cquins money is given to hospitals for projects which improve the quality of care. It can be used to ensure staff are well educated by specialists in palliative care on how to care for patients, how to manage distressing symptoms and how to communicate with patients and their families. Its the worst thing in the world to have to tell someone that their loved one is dying – Could you do it? Or would you go for the easier option and just not tell them – let them find out for themselves when its too late to say goodbye or to tell them you love them? It takes training to be able to break bad news in the kindest way possible and sadly training costs money, I am proud of the hospitals mentioned above for exceeding their target – they should be getting a medal never mind criticized.
The totally partisan reporting of this story will lead to patients suffering and families being distressed by witnessing their suffering This is the real nightmare. Please keep an open mind – hear the other side of the story.
[…] care and bureaucratic sloth. Take a look at some of the examples linked at the bottom of this post about the British system and ask yourself whether the politically well connected ever endure those horror […]
[…] Because the medical bureaucracy is in charge, because the government is paying the bill. Hat tip Dan Mitchell. […]
Reblogged this on Cummings America and commented:
Yes, let’s go to Britain for health care!
Good piece, Dan. We only get one chance at getting rid of big government, and if we do it the wrong way, we will lose the battle for the next two generations.
I might remind your readership of this one:
http://libertybullhorn.com/2012/05/24/why-austerity-spending-cuts-dont-work/
/srl
Reblogged this on Gds44's Blog.
I’m told that the Native Americans of the Sioux Tribes who were nomadic, simply sat grandmother by a tree when she could no longer keep up. Then the rest of the group just moved on.