Stephen Tall

Lamb: charge “rat-arsed drunks” for A&E treatment

By | Mon 10th September 2007 - 1:50 am

Let’s not accuse Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Health, of gently slipping out his latest policy proposal – that patients needing emergency NHS treatment after becoming drunk or incapacitated by drugs would be charged:

“If you get rat-arsed on a Friday night and get taken to A&E where you are foul and abusive to staff, is it right for the taxpayers to fund your life-saving treatment?”

The Guardian reports that, “The proposals are understood to have strong support from Sir Menzies Campbell, the Lib Dem leader.”

Perhaps the more significant aspects of the proposals, though, are contained here:

The paper also included a plan to give people money to buy their own healthcare. Expectant mothers could get direct payments worth hundreds of pounds to buy the services of an independent midwife. People with poor mental health or long-term medical conditions could also be provided with cash for counselling or therapy. … Other proposals included direct election of local health boards and greater integration between health and social services.

There’s further coverage in The Times, and at ePolitix.co.uk.

Read more by or more about .
This entry was posted in News.
Advert

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Roland
    @kira Colin’s - “ So how do we go about attracting the votes of people inclined to vote for Reform?” An interesting question, as the answer is probably s...
  • Roland
    Given the fixed term Parliament Act was repealed by Johnson, I would be aiming at 2028. There is little benefit to the sitting government to go for the full fiv...
  • Tom Walker
    I’ve enjoyed this lively debate, thank you for all the comments. As people, our perspectives and conclusions will always be different. This reflects our diver...
  • Gill Travers
    Chris says "he harsh truth is that, unless we have a message that gives us an identity among those who don’t take a massive interest in politics but do at l...
  • David Raw
    "After all George Formby paid 19/6d in the £ on his income and still remained the greatest entertainer ever". Not that bad for a window cleaner !...