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Government Medicine vs. the Elderly (In Britain, 16.5% of deaths came after 'terminal sedation.')
Wall Street Journal) ^ | September 14, 2009 | Rupert Darwall

Posted on 09/15/2009 7:29:03 AM PDT by Zakeet

A report [by the Patients Association, an independent charity] presented a catalogue of end-of-life cases that demonstrated, in its words, "a consistent pattern of shocking standards of care." It provided details of what it described as "appalling treatment," which could be found across the NHS.

A few days later, a group of senior doctors and health-care experts ... expressed concern about ... a program ... involving withdrawal of fluids and nourishment for patients thought to be dying. Noting that in 2007-08, 16.5% of deaths in the U.K. came after "terminal sedation," their letter concluded with the chilling observation that experienced doctors know that sometimes "when all but essential drugs are stopped, 'dying' patients get better" if they are allowed to.

The usual justification for socialized health care is to provide access to quality health care for the poor and disadvantaged. But this function can be more efficiently performed through the benefits system and the payment of refundable tax credits.

The real justification for socialized medicine is left unstated: Because health-care resources are assumed to be fixed, those resources should be prioritized for those who can benefit most from medical treatment. Thus the NHS acts as Britain's national triage service, deciding who is most likely to respond best to treatment and allocating health care accordingly.

It should therefore come as no surprise that the NHS is institutionally ageist. The elderly have fewer years left to them; why then should they get health-care resources that would benefit a younger person more? An analysis by a senior U.K.-based health-care expert earlier this decade found that in the U.S. health-care spending per capita goes up steeply for the elderly, while the U.K. didn't show the same pattern. The U.K.'s pattern of health-care spending by age had more in common with the former Soviet bloc.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: elderly; healthcare; nhs; obamacare; socializedmedicine

1 posted on 09/15/2009 7:29:03 AM PDT by Zakeet
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To: Zakeet

Holy Cow- almost 20% of all the Brits who die are put to sleep by their NHS?????


2 posted on 09/15/2009 7:31:25 AM PDT by silverleaf (If we are astroturf, why are the democrats trying to mow us?)
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To: Zakeet

Hope & Change. Sadly the elderly in the UK are passive and the leftist politicians understand this.

Obama is going to really screw seniors and baby boomers plus the rest of us. Anyone who voted for his is a fool.

The idiots are still clueless.


3 posted on 09/15/2009 7:32:22 AM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs & Glenn Beck- American Heroes! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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To: Zakeet

obama care = Extermination!


4 posted on 09/15/2009 7:34:37 AM PDT by GloriaJane (http://www.last.fm/user/GloriaJane)
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To: Zakeet

This is what the “end of life” counseling sessions are about. If this doesn’t scare seniors enough to get them out on the streets protesting Obama’s healthcare, I don’t know what will.


5 posted on 09/15/2009 7:35:52 AM PDT by KansasGirl (I hate the media.)
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To: Zakeet
See Michelle, I told you that we had plenty of space to put all of the old and worthless Americans and worthless depressed and disabled veterans in and get them out of the way. We could put about 50 million of them in that big hole. Then, we can use their estate taxes to fund the 40 million former illegals, who are now legal citizens and our voters and needing free healthcare.


6 posted on 09/15/2009 8:04:58 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Does 0b0z0 have any friends, who aren't traitors, spies, tax cheats and criminals?)
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To: Zakeet

For comparison purposes, I’d be curious to see how many die after “pain management” care in the US under a private insurance schema.


7 posted on 09/15/2009 8:19:03 AM PDT by Unlikely Hero ("Time is a wonderful teacher; unfortunately, it kills all its pupils." --Berlioz)
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To: silverleaf

Right there is a very good reason to not ever visit the UK. If something should happen to you, being a foreigner they’re just going to put you to sleep to die.


8 posted on 09/15/2009 8:19:50 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

Very similar to what the end of life care was in the USSR!
This is exactly what OCare will do, there are no doubts of the intent of this Administration.


9 posted on 09/15/2009 9:06:00 AM PDT by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: socialismisinsidious


Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care daily digest PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this daily digest ping list (one ping per day of links to pertinent articles).




10 posted on 09/15/2009 12:41:45 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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