NEWS STORY : Sajid Javid Calls for Charges to Use NHS
STORY
Sajid Javid, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove and the former Health Secretary, has written an article in The Times saying that charges should be considered for people wanting to visit their GP or use A&E facilities. Citing the charges made in some other EU countries, Javid argued that the situation at the moment with waiting lists meant that “the institution faces nothing short of a 1948-style moment”.
Javid called for a debate across the political parties on the future funding of the NHS, but a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, rejected the charging proposals.
Richard Murphy, the Professor of Accounting Practice at Sheffield University, said:
“Javid wants to raise £9.1 billion a year by imposing a sickness tax on those wanting to see a doctor. But that’s before exemptions and before the massive cost of actually collecting this money, which can’t be ignored. So, let’s guess it’s £6 billion after exemptions. In my new report on NHS funding out today I suggest the NHS needs £30 billion extra a year to function properly. So Javid is not proposing anything that will make any big difference to its fortunes. But he is going to hit the poorest hardest”.
RESOURCES
Section of Sajid Javid’s Article
Richard Murphy’s Reaction to Sajid Javid’s Proposals
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