I am sadly reminded of the old surfer song, that begins with a maniacal laughter: Hahahahahahaha,” and then the emphatic word, “Wipeout!”
The NHS is cracking up. Now, patients are being denied treatments ranging from hip replacements to wisdom teeth extractions and routine scanning. Hundreds of thousands are involved. From the story:
Hundreds of thousands of NHS patients are being denied routine procedures as dozens of trusts cut back on surgery, scans and other treatments in order to save money, a Daily Telegraph investigation has found. Trusts around the country are refusing to pay for operations ranging from hip replacements, to cataract removal and wisdom tooth extraction.
The health service is also tightening restrictions that prevent patients undergoing procedures for lifestyle reasons. Smokers and obese patients are being denied operations until they change their habits and trusts are delaying surgery and non-emergency treatments, the Telegraph has found in the most comprehensive snapshot of NHS cuts yet.
So, will they deny promiscuous patients with STDs or HIV treatment? Not on a bet! (Nor should they.)
Single payer doesn’t work in lean times. It leads to rationing, at first around the edges (bad enough), and when that doesn’t stem the arterial bleeding, wholesale restrictions. When that happens, the people who suffer most are the politically unpopular. And there is no one to sue.
Read the whole story. What. A. Disaster.
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
