The UK is well up the top third list of international expenditure on health.
We really could do to spend more but until the grotesque profligacy with public monies is addressed, I have no desire to see any more waste of of our taxation. (It was once said that for every £million put into the top of the NHS, £50k makes into actual patient care. The truth of this I do not know but, tragically, it seems more than probable.))
Top funding has utterly failed us. This means that the government pours money into the top of the NHS and crosses its fingers that sufficient will filter down to cover all necessary patient care and can offer sufficient to attract people into the medical profession.
As a nation we have universities spewing out Mickey Mouse degrees with Sociology (Marxism in a pretty poor disguise) and Media Studies being amongst the worst. There are countless more.
Why a shortage of places for Nursing and Medicine?
Why not savagely reduce the MM Degrees and use the plentiful savings to train and remunerate medical professionals?
Why are we enticing nurses and doctors from Third World nations to attempt to cover our shortfall?
My stats aren't up to date on Malawi but I do know that they have pathetically few nurses and doctors - as those that the did have, have been poached by Western nations such as the UK.
NHS
There needs to be a Royal Commission set up to investigate abuse of taxpayers' cash, especially where the following are concerned:
1) Unnecessary admin.
2) Purchasing policy.
3) Pricing of agency staff.
4) Funding of political correctness ahead of medical care.
5) Rampant bureaucracy.
6) Self-perpetuating offices serving no real function.
7) Managers and juniors who make no difference whatsoever to the running of hospitals must be made to retrain as medics or resign.
8) To consider all the possibilities and ramifications in bottom funding as a major reform.
9) Monies to follow the patient so that those hospitals and clinics which attend to the needs of the most patients will automatically receive the most funding.
When the needs of the patient are linked to incoming monies - efficiency will always be rewarded - a super incentive to put patient needs first.
10) The NHS must be depoliticised.
