Author Archives: Elliot Bidgood

Elliot Bidgood

The Independent View: Could Ireland’s emerging healthcare reforms test David Laws’ NHIS vision?

By Elliot Bidgood | Tue 17th December 2013 - 9:16 am

Nearly a decade ago now, David Laws MP raised the idea of evolving the NHS into a continental-style universal ‘National Health Insurance Scheme’ (NHIS), where healthcare would be progressively funded from dedicated income contributions, individuals could choose insurers and everyone would be entitled to a comprehensive package of set treatments within a decentralised but heavily regulated system. It was a bold and interesting proposal, which for better or worse helped define the 2004 Orange Book in eyes of many, though it has perhaps also been misunderstood and straw-manned to a degree.

However, besides substantive criticisms and the understandable sensitivities that talk …

Continue reading »
Posted in The Independent View | Tagged , and | 19 Comments
Elliot Bidgood

The Independent View: The merits of Swedish-style localism in improving UK healthcare

By Elliot Bidgood | Tue 22nd October 2013 - 9:04 am

Swedish flagDebate about NHS reform has been intense in 2013 as the service has entered its historic 65th year and the need for greater accountability has become apparent in response to lapses in care such as those at Mid Staffordshire.

In light of this, it is important to learn from what is already established practice abroad and one of the best examples is Sweden, a nation with a word-class healthcare system with a history and ethos closely comparable with our own revered health service.  It was developed after the war by a reforming social democratic government, it is financed from general taxation, it is universally accessible and it was traditionally provided by the state.  On closer inspection, however, there are significant differences in both design and performance which may be instructive for the UK.

Continue reading »
Posted in The Independent View | Tagged , and | 11 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • David Garlick
    Council housing with no right to buy unless the whole of the purchase income remains locally and can only be used to build more council housing....
  • David Garlick
    The benefits of taking a drug like cannabis out of the hands of criminals and providing a strongly regulated, grown in the UK, supply seems a no brainer to me....
  • Alex Macfie
    The French run-off system can be gamed. Say there's a candidate (let's call him Bordan Jardella) who is highly likely to get into the run-off but you are desper...
  • Nick Hopkinson
    Thank you for your informative posts, Tom. Was it intentional to run a piece linking Trump, fruitcakes and nuts?...
  • Mick Taylor
    Now then Peter. The Greens are no longer primarily for the environment and Labour are defintely not for the working class. What do you think we're for?...