NHS Meltdown: Voucher System Experiment

Tens of thousands of NHS patients will be given money to pay for their own health care in a controversial “voucher” scheme under new government plans. Patients with a range of illnesses will have direct control of “individual health budgets”, allowing them to decide how to spend money at present allocated for them by the NHS.

It will be the most radical part of a wider policy, to be launched this week, to give patients more choice over their health care. From Tuesday, most of those referred for hospital treatment will be given a choice of more than 500 hospitals, including 160 private units, across the country. Under the “voucher” scheme, patients will not be given money directly, but will decide themselves how to spend sums normally administered by the NHS.

Well something had to be done. This is the first breath of hope I have seen for the NHS in some time.