Today, we hear that the Welsh Assembly Government has decided to outlaw car park charges in hospitals. I heartily approve; I have always thought that to charge patients, their families, and medical staff for parking was, on the one hand, a tax on illness and, on the other, an additional layer of tax on earnings.However, WAG is not, I understand, compensating the hospital trusts for the income they will lose. This will, I fear, result in yet a further decline in hospital services in Wales.
WAG could, of course, scrap the bizarre free prescription programme, under which people who can afford to pay for their medicines get them for nothing. To do so would not affect the young, the elderly or those in receipt of benefit, because they get their prescriptions free of charge anyway. It would, however, free up some £30 million for patient care.
But, since WAG is run by an unholy socialist alliance of Labour and Plaid, it won’t happen. And waiting lists in Wales will continue to grow and grow.
And if you are interested in the current state of those waiting lists, I can tell you that in England (pop. 50,762,900) the number of patients waiting for their first outpatient appointment for over 13 weeks is 82.
In Wales (pop. 2,965,900) the number is 47,698.
At least you’ll be able to park free while you wait.
1 comments:
"However, WAG is not, I understand, compensating the hospital trusts for the income they will lose. This will, I fear, result in yet a further decline in hospital services in Wales".
That appears to be the bottom line!
If that is the case, it yet again show how woefully inadeqate people like Hart are for the jobs!
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