Here's the latest socialized medicine development from England. England, mind you. Not some backwater banana republic that doesn't have the means to do better or the cultural history to know better, but Great Britain!The U.K. Prime Minister is apologizing for the latest National Health Service scandal (a horrible set of scandals actually) stemming from atrocious conditions at Stafford and Cannock Chase hospitals.
Absolutely filthy wards. Patients left to lie hours in their own waste. Patients so thirsty that they drank from their own flower vases when they couldn't get someone to bring them a glass of water. Non-medical staff (i.e., receptionists) doing the initial examinations of patients. Nurses who turned off heart monitors because they didn't understand how to use them. Operations delayed for days. Patients left without food, water and medication. Critically important equipment (i.e., heart defibrillators) out of order.
There was other physical suffering and emotional trauma too.
And, oh yes...senseless deaths. Plenty of them.
A commission's report suggests at least 400 deaths could not be explained, but there are fears that the numbers of patients who needlessly died is closer to 1,200.
But the hospitals sure saved a lot of money. Indeed, they met their target of saving £10 million.
But at what expense? 150 staff positions, equipment and, oh my Lord, all those deaths.
Gordon Brown and Health Secretary Alan Johnson insist that what happened here was unusual and not being repeated in other hospitals. It represented "a breakdown of communication" and "a failure of management."
Sigh.
And American readers, please keep in mind that the Democrat Party and the sitting President wants to bring socialized medicine (aka universal health care) to your shores soon.
You'd better hope you stay well.
