OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Maggie Nelmes, Ventnor. Ed
Last year, Donald Trump threatened our government with tariffs on the medicines we sell to the US if they did not agree to pay considerably more for new medicines from America. Instead of putting up a fight, the Government caved in to big pharma and Trump.
A report from the universities of York and Liverpool and Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand, published recently in the British Medical Journal, reveals how the 25% increase in cost will mean big cuts in other NHS services, unless the health and social care budget is increased by at least £45 billion over the next decade. This seems unlikely, given the pressure the UK is facing to greatly increase our defence spending.
Report warns of thousands of avoidable deaths
The researchers warn that cuts to other NHS services will lead to 229 thousand avoidable deaths, especially among patients with heart, respiratory and gastrointestinal disease or cancer.
Add to this the indirect effect on adult social care, and Trump’s actions could result in 291 thousand extra deaths over the next decade.
Calls for proper parliamentary scrutiny
MPs and campaign groups are up in arms, calling on the Government to do its own analysis.
They claim that the deal was rushed through without being put before parliament for proper scrutiny.
Fears over US firms and privatisation
American corporations are itching to expand into a privatised UK healthcare market. US spyware company Palantir is already creating a database of all our NHS patient records, and US insurance companies can’t wait to profit from our healthcare policies.
America has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the developed world, but one of the poorest, and insurance often does not cover costly long-term illnesses.
Message to next PM
Our NHS was, until some sixteen years ago, the envy of the world. Successive governments have starved it of funding, run it into the ground to make it ripe for privatisation. Was it Trump’s plan to hasten this process when he made us pay more?
Let’s demand that our next prime minister stand up for our NHS, stop and reverse privatisation.
