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That hero of the working man, Nasty Nigel Farage seems to be running a political party that isn't too keen on the NHS.

This from the website of Paul "Nutty" Nuttall, the Deputy Leader of UKIP.

"Dear Editor,

I would like to congratulate the coalition government for bringing a whiff of privatisation into the beleaguered National Health Service. The fact that successive governments have undertaken what they call ?substantial? changes to the NHS should tell us all we need to know: there is something fundamentally wrong with how we treat the ill in our country.

The NHS is the second biggest employer in the world, beaten only by Walmart, but as with all state monopolies, it is costly, inefficient and stuffed with bureaucrats. In New Labour?s NHS, for every nurse there is a manager and vital workers, such as midwives, are falling in numbers.

The problem, however, goes far deeper. I would argue that the very existence of the NHS stifles competition, and as competition drives quality and choice, innovation and improvements are restricted.

Therefore, I believe, as long as the NHS is the ?sacred cow? of British politics, the longer the British people will suffer with a second rate health service.

Paul Nuttall MEP

Apparently when this got spread widely amongst the media, it was withdrawn from the website. I suspect the phrase "I would argue that the very existence of the NHS stifles competition" didn't go down too well.

All you, UKIP supporters out there, start saying for the private healthcare subscription. I'd imagine a few grand a year should cover it. Mind, if you are over 65 and not really wealthy, some kind of do it yourself surgery kit might be the only option or maybe you could go over to Poland and take advantage of the Polish healthcare system.....

The NHS will always exist, free at the point of delivery, and that is for two reasons: one, it is right that it continues; second, it would be political suicide for any ruling party to change that. It is very hard to afford though, it costs something like ?1billion every 3 days, something like ?350m a day. I read that stat a while ago, it might even be more now. The NHS is apparently the world's second biggest employer, second only to the Chinese army.

My friend "works" at the local infirmary. He does data input and produces a few reports for the NHS auditors (yes they do have them)....and gets ?25k a year, 6 weeks hols, works flexi and takes at least a week of sickies every year. He thinks he has a hard job btw.
In the private sector that job would pay about ?17k locally with less holidays. Waaaaay too many cushy jobs and far too few medical staff. Personally I think the NHS is great but the management are useless. On the other hand if I could pay into a quality private scheme for what I contribute to the NHS I would do so. Another friend was crawling on his hands and knees with back pain and losing work as a sole trader. NHS quotes 6-9 months. Nuffield had him in the next week at ?5k. Now in my eyes he should get an NI or tax rebate to cover what he has paid into the NHS for no treatment.

"The NHS will always exist, free at the point of delivery,"

I wish I could share your optimism, Max, but cannot. We are constantly bombarded with remarks from Tories and UKIP in particular that we cannot support the NHS in its present format and there has to be change e.g. "It is very hard to afford though".

If the 6th richest country in the world in terms of GNP cannot afford a free healthcare service, who can?

"Waaaaay too many cushy jobs and far too few medical staff."

I think I would agree with that, including the cult of measurement which Blair and Brown introduced.

"Personally I think the NHS is great but the management are useless."

Too much of a generalisation. Some good, some useless.

"On the other hand if I could pay into a quality private scheme for what I contribute to the NHS I would do so"

As you realise, you have got no chance of going down that route.

"Another friend was crawling on his hands and knees with back pain and losing work as a sole trader. NHS quotes 6-9 months. Nuffield had him in the next week at ?5k. Now in my eyes he should get an NI or tax rebate to cover what he has paid into the NHS for no treatment."

If you wanted an NHS that could deliver that level of service you would need to pay many times what your contribution is from tax that goes towards the NHS.

"If the 6th richest country in the world in terms of GNP cannot afford a free healthcare service, who can?"

Nobody I would imagine. I don't know how many countries in the world have a free health care system, like we do. I don't think it is very many. It might not be any in fact. If there are any it would be something very draining to keep financing - as our NHS is. Our NHS should and will continue though - because as I said earlier it is right that it continues and it would be the kiss-of-death for any Government to stop keeping the whole thing free and available to all.

America is the richest and healthcare is a luxury for most...

That's simply because the US is an extremist capitalist country with a long history of ignoring the plight of the least well off in their society.