Triage by rationing health care

BBC:

Rationing of NHS treatments is becoming more widespread, a survey of GPs and hospital doctors suggests.

Doctor magazine asked readers about rationing. Of 653 answering questions on consequences, 107 - 16% - said patients had died early as a result.

More than half - 349 - said patients had suffered as a result. This compared with one in five in a similar survey conducted nine years ago.

The government said decisions had to be made on which treatments to provide.

The magazine asked 12,000 of its readers a variety of questions with between 473 and 857 replying to each one.

Doctors said more debate was urgently needed over what should and should not be rationed.

...

They also reported that local NHS trusts had been placing restrictions on fertility treatments, obesity surgery and a host of minor operations, including those for varicose veins.

The magazine said the findings of the latest poll showed rationing was becoming more widespread.

...

Many experts fear the situation will get worse with increasing demands on the health service made by the ageing population and expected advances in medicines.

Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's GPs committee, said: "There is not much honesty and openness about this.

"The NHS could spend whatever you gave it, but it obviously works with a limited budget so we urgently need to have a debate about what can be provided.

"Trusts are already being forced into this but the political parties are not talking about it."

...

Don't expect the Democrats to talk about it either. While they are rushing as fast as they think they can get away with it toward the rationed health care system, they are silent about the rationing they would impose. Hat tip Larwyn and Bruce Kessler.

Remember when the Russians used to have to stand in line for bread? That is one of the fruits of a socialist system. That is what Democrats will do for health care.