Contest PKG

[AnotherLuke]

For the record, sbxxxii7, I actually think this video is very good. I just know the NHS isn't anywhere near as bad as some American's have been saying (even though it infuriates me sometimes), and I hope your system doesn't end up like you fear!

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

'Britain shamed by NHS death rates'

"Patients who have major surgery in Britain are four times more likely to die than those in America, according to a major new study.

The comparison of care, which reveals a sevenfold difference in mortality rates in one set of patients, concludes that hospital waiting lists, a shortage of specialists and competition for intensive care beds are to blame. "

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr Interesting.  However: Firstly that study was from 2003, and both waiting lists times and number of ICU beds have greatly improved since then (rightly so!). You could argue that at least someone was listening.

Secondly, reading the paper itself I see it was actually aiming to compare a research tool, not study mortality directly, and the authors made their comparison about mortality rates as an post hoc conclusion. The paper actually states that more research is needed

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

NHS suddenly saw the light? Then why the recent article from the Telegraph in 2009, "Ten NHS trusts have worse death rates than 'shocking' Mid Staffordshire

Ten health trusts have worse death rates than the hospital where at least 400 patients died needlessly because of shocking and appalling standards of care, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal."

You can endlessly post articles like this. This is because NHS is a monopoly and behaves as such. You always have to police it.

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr You're quite right, there are shocking stories happening. A big problem actually stems from the "policing", because there's been a lot of threats from government that we must meet certain targets. The problem is that the targets don't equate to good health care (althought they're meant to) and so management is rewarded for meeting targets *in lieu* of decent care. And patients suffer. It's awful, but it's stupidity not "socialised healthcare" and we're fighting to change it!

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

Central planning always fails, even if the planners and participants are benevolent.

In the US, poor patient care means going out of business and being litigated to death.

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr We are not without sanctions for poor care, but I do agree that the NHS has become too centralised in recent times.

I didn't comment here to claim the NHS is perfect, but it is wrong to say that public healthcare equals poor medicine: doctors won't suddenly become uncaring like in the video! I hope Obamacare learns from the mistakes the NHS has made (and still makes). But most people in the UK get great care and noone misses out due to cost. I'm proud of that. Good luck to you guys!

[FriderikD]

How does ADDING government insurance qualify as reform? Re-FORM might mean annual health care vouchers that you could save year to year until they're needed. Shop around with doctors and hospitals. Competition and transparency reduce costs. Save the banks and since it's your money, the feds can't steal it like they did Social Security.

[ronheri]

Loved it!

[WorldMetalAlliance]

Nice!

[sbxxxii7]

Thanks! We're moths to a flame.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

great video, take it from a Canuck, single payer ain't the way to go

[sbxxxii7]

Thank you for your kind words. I don't actually think it's about health care at all. Nor is it about the environment. It's about power.

In his campaign, he openly said he wanted to transform the country and a small majority of an historically ignorant electorate thought that sounded cool. Here we go.

[Moonman2727]

Fantastic video. Perfect analogy. Heaven help us all if this (and Cap & Tax, etc.) get through this Congress...

Obama crooned... The voters swooned... We all were ruined!

[AustinSwill]

Why does the sound not work on this video ?

[sbxxxii7]

Uploading error. Only one channel. If you don't have both speakers up, you may miss it. I may try to upload it again and send you the URL. Let me know.

[AustinSwill]

I have both speakers up but cant hear it :(

[sbxxxii7]

OK, let me try to upload again. I'll let you know when I do.

[bryanbarton]

This video was great!

The one thing that confused me was the beginning.

Because when I see a car repair shop I think privately owned. You should have had a establishing shot saying "Government car repair"

[sbxxxii7]

Thank you for your kind compliment.

The intention was to have the graphic up to establish that it was a year into "Universal Car Care" while having the engine cut and the car door slam. The minute and a half restriction caused me to drop a couple of lines I would have liked to use as well. Had to move things along and I wanted to use sound to help tell the story.

The sign would have required its being constructed. I also wanted to get in and out of the business that kindly allowed me to shoot.

[dirtinstead]

Great analogy! Next depict how car repair would be if it was like current private health insurance. Take your car in, they first ask what your insurance company is, which they may or may not accept. If you try to buy the insurance that your intended mechanic takes, they may or may accept you, or may require terms and payments you cannot afford. Then they can change the terms as their lawyers and accountants see fit. Thank goodness we don't have to pay a third party to pay for car repairs!

[sbxxxii7]

Smurf!

[infalliblejon]

No, you have a choice with your private insurance. You can change companies or even just pay out of pocket if you like. Under universal health care, you don't have those options. In fact, you don't have any options.

[freedumb2003]

The "old car" thing is exactly what is happening (with humans) in Canada and Europe.

Socialized medicine is barbaric.

Why do you think people with real health problems come to the USA? That will end if the TOTUS-reader commie has his way.

[AnotherLuke]

No offence freedumb2003, but as a doctor in the United Kingdom we're all rather amused by the misconceptions being thrown about when discussing NHS style care. The NHS has it's problems, but it certainly doesn't give up on elderly patients- who do you think we are? I'm bemused that you all think taking profit-seeking companies out of healthcare will make everything worse :S

[freedumb2003]

England has one of the highest mortality rates on the planet.

No one goes TO England for life-saving cutting-edge health care. The American and English word for this treatment is the same: "Death."

They come TO the USA, which uses a combination of public and private contributions to a system that rewards R & D.

You might want to check your leeches to see if they are ready for your 9:00 appointment Dr, AL.

[AnotherLuke]

@freedumb2003 Americans have a lower life expectancy than Brits, even when you include the Scots and our love of whisky and pies. To achieve this lower life expectancy you actually spend more government money (pre-Obama!) per person than we do, never mind any private costs. Sounds really cutting edge.

Leeches? For acute venous congestion you mean, like they also use in America? They're amazingly effective, but surely you know that. Unless you have no idea what you're talking about of course

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

There's only a 1.2 year difference between the UK and US, but the UK is much more racially homogeneous than the US is. UK is 92% white. Black and native american life expectancy is 6 years less than whites. Hispanics have about a year less than whites. US lifestyle choices are also worse than people in the UK.

[KidsandKarma]

Have you read the National Death Service blog lately?

[fubecabr]

Perhaps you missed the London Telegraph on 02 Sep 2009, "Sentenced to death on the NHS Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned."

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr @fubecabr That rather sensationalist headline was dismissed as inaccurate, not least by the UK Association for Palliative Medicine. Also, the Liverpool Care Pathway was only ever a guideline, only ever used in some hospitals and was intended to avoid painful and aggressive treatment in a patient's last few hours. I'm not sure how that furthers your arguement against the NHS

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

The bottom line is that EVERY health care system rations care, in one way or another. Most health care money is spent in the final years, weeks, and days of one's life. If you want to keep costs down, that's where you have to ration.

In socialist health care systems, the government fixes prices which limits the supply of health care and increases the demand for it. The result is rationing. Not everyone will get the care they need, when they need it.

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr Yes, if I spend money on you I can't spend it on someone else. When people talk about rationing in the NHS they usually mean brand new drugs, and so we balance the actual benefit of the new drug (compared to what we already have) against the extra cost. Otherwise you might give the person with terminal kidney cancer an extra fortnight but at the cost of running a neonatal unit for a month.

The US instead rations in the sense that you can have anything, but only if you have money

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

Another form of rationing that occurs in subsidized and government run systems is queuing. The demand always exceeds supply when the price is free, so people have to wait a long time for procedures and tests. I can schedule a ct scan for monday in the US. In Canada or the UK, it could take months.

[AnotherLuke]

@fubecabr I can't speak for Canana, but a big reason why there are waiting lists here involves economies of scale. Many hospitals shut their theatres and scanners overnight and weekends because there isn't the demand to staff them overnight- 1 person not wanting to wait until Monday is a waste. I work in the 2nd largest city in Scotland- population only 250,000! How big are your cities?

Also, our waiting lists are getting a lot better in recent years. Waiting for months is fortunately rare

[fubecabr]

@AnotherLuke

Except for emergency use, CT scanners are not used during nights and weekends in the US.

As for economies of scale, most hospitals and clinics in the US are independent operations. There's no national hospital or clinic chain. There's no economies of scale here either.

The city I live in has only 45,000 people.