The National Health Service, more commonly known as the, ‘NHS’ was established soon after the end of the Second World War, during a time where there was an increase in medical attention needed by the public as a result of the casualties of the war. The NHS aims to provide a range of health care services which are ‘free’ to members of the public. However, these services have never been, ‘free’ as they are funded by direct taxation from the public.
Despite it being around for many years and providing care to many people it has recently been scrutinized under the current cabinet as whilst being in this governmental term, the Conservatives have reduced spending on the system. In doing so the Conservatives have reduced government borrowing but have sacrificed the efficiency of the health system as a result. Whilst possibly benefiting their own party by reducing public spending they have in turn, caused major chaos amongst the system.
The population of the UK is currently at 64 million and is expected to rise exponentially within the next few decades. With this population rise people are becoming older, more susceptible to disease and obesity is on the rise due to the increasing abundance of fast food chains and unhealthy convenient food. With this population rise therefore, there will be an increasing strain on the NHS.
In recent times we have already seen the strain on the NHS that binge drinking and obesity related illnesses have brought about. Strain on the NHS will never now be decreasing, only if our population starts to fall. Surely this is the wrong time to start causing chaos to our national health system?
As a member of the public who will eventually have to pay taxes I would gladly pay if I knew a percentage of them were going towards the funding of the NHS. To imagine a country without a national health service we only have to look across the continent to America…
If you live an America and are unfortunate enough to have an unlucky accident or even suffer the devastation of being diagnosed with a terminal illness you will have to pay for every form of treatment or consultations you have. Through no fault of their own, many Americans are having to pay for the expenses of their own bad luck. Do we want this to happen to our own society?
Many people in America cannot afford the cost of healthcare and so suffer without. However giving birth evidently requires a significant amount of healthcare and a mother should not have to go without because of a lack of income. Above shows the bill of a Mother giving birth, the whole process ended up costing $42,347 which roughly equates to £27,000 which is slightly higher than the average annual salary in the UK! This is seriously unjust, in this day an age with such innovative medical advancements it should make standard healthcare affordable to all. Not just for the higher earners in society. By living without a healthcare funded by public taxation, America are widening the gap between the lower earners in society and the higher earners in society and favouring those who are more privileged. Is this righteous? Would we want this sort of situation in the UK?
Many people in America cannot afford the cost of healthcare and so suffer without. However giving birth evidently requires a significant amount of healthcare and a mother should not have to go without because of a lack of income. Above shows the bill of a Mother giving birth, the whole process ended up costing $42,347 which roughly equates to £27,000 which is slightly higher than the average annual salary in the UK! This is seriously unjust, in this day an age with such innovative medical advancements it should make standard healthcare affordable to all. Not just for the higher earners in society. By living without a healthcare funded by public taxation, America are widening the gap between the lower earners in society and the higher earners in society and favouring those who are more privileged. Is this righteous? Would we want this sort of situation in the UK?
On the other hand America has experienced some reform and is not as bad as it was. President Obama in 2010 managed to establish the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) or more commonly known as, “Obamacare” which aimed to provide a more affordable health insurance system which would enable the public to reduce the amount they pay for healthcare. Hope is emerging!
Luckily in this country we have an NHS healthcare system which covers most medical expenses. However with the current government aiming to privatise the NHS system we might be looking at a bleaker future for the NHS. People may argue this is not a big deal, that there’s larger and more important political issues to worry about perhaps. But I believe this is a very ignorant view, the NHS is used by everyone and is taken for granted by most. If it was privatised everyone would feel the strain, not just a select age group in society. Therefore this is a big issue and would affect everyone in society not just the minority.
Many people in college will be casting their first vote this May in the 2015 General election and many won’t too, as they may say ‘oh I can’t be bothered’ or ‘oh it won’t make a difference anyway.’
To everybody that is reading this article, ask yourself: which one am I? Do you appreciate democracy and having the freedom to openly display your own vote for how and who your country is ran by or are you just too naïve to not care? Throughout our history many groups of people across the world
have campaigned for the fundamental right to vote and many people today are just abusing this by not even taking an interest. The last general election was in 2010 which saw an overall voter turnout of 65.1%. That’s just over half of all the people in the UK who bothered to vote– I think it’s shameful to admit that after all the campaigns throughout history only half of the people in the UK are turning up to vote. Compare this to the general election of 1929. After the first world war it was predicted that a lot of people had lost faith in politics and maybe wouldn’t bother to vote because of this. However, a year before this general election all women over the age of 21 were given the right to vote. Previously in 1918 women over the age of 30 and who were householders could vote however this changed in 1928 to all women over the age of 21. The turnout for the general election in 1929 was 76.3%. Compare this to present day, where it is at 65.1%. It may not seem a huge difference in the turnout however we have not just experienced the first world war. Even after the political turmoil of WW1 people still bothered to vote more than people in the UK currently do!
This article is not intended to force you into voting but to merely open up your mind to other ideas if you’re currently 18 and thinking of giving this May a miss. Before subjecting yourself to an attitude of defiance and ‘oh it won’t matter if I don’t vote anyway’ try to think positively and remember that every vote counts. And also– if you vote it gives you a right to complain and moan about politics and the sate of the country! By taking part you are doing your bit and standing up for democracy which so many people have fought hard for in the past.
Happy voting!
