The NHS is wasteful and overstaffed with many people who do next to nothing and who are unpunctual and go sick very often. How do I know - I work for it, and I'm appalled by the poor attitude of staff and even worse management. A recent government report said the NHS is run mainly for the benefit of its employees, not the patients. This needs to change. Privatise the whole thing. That'd be the best way to give NHS customers value for money.

Poor deluded Simon .... I do hope he never needs the services of our local Independant Sector Treatment Centre which is run by a private company, and which is now doing all the elective orthopaedic work for our area. It costs the tax payer 11% more than the previous service provided by the NHS, but has reduced throughput by 75% (meaning waiting times have risen sharply). Re-admission post operatively has increased dramatically, there have been a series of complaints about increased clinical risk, and the company has increased the numbers that it is referring back to the "proper" NHS on the basis that they are too complex for them to perform. A recent inspection by the local PPIF has called for urgent intervention by the Healthcare Commission. In the meantime, the company running the ISTC walks away with £15 million of tax payers money (no matter how badly it performs) while our local general hospital faces closure because of lack of funds.