Privatisation of the National Health Service by stealth?

06/12/2011

I think more pensioners and older people should be aware of the circumstances of my recent experience with the NHS as regards to availability of medication on prescription, which is presently free to the over 60's, but which I think is about to change radically.
 
I also wish to voice my concerns and objection to David Cameron's recent announcement that he intends to release the private medical records of the people of this country to the private sector.  This will be the private sector wherever they are based, regardless of whether they are British based companies or not.   Which obviously means that you and I could be funding more foreign companies that our own British based ones if we are forced to pay for all of our medication - God forbid!
 
Let me start with my recent experience.  I am a pensioner and claiming guaranteed pension credit.  I am well educated so therefore not stupid - just basically poor.  Because of my extremely small pension I can't afford to pay for costly medication.  However, I have worked hard all my life and therefore expect to have some treatment from the NHS after paying my contributions all my working life.  Just because I don't have a good pension does not make me stupid - rather more unfortunate than anything else.
 
Yesterday I went to see an ENT specialist about a nasal and ear problem.  He did the obvious inspection of my nose and sent me for a blood test.  I was told that I had a deviation of my right nasal canal and that although surgery could in fact put this right, he advised that other problems could arise due to the surgery, i.e. numbness of part of my fact or tingling in my gums.  I was therefore put off from having an operation to straighten my nasal bone even though this could have righted the problem.  The ENT specialist then said that I may have an allergy which could be worsening my condition. 

 

He then handed me a leaflet about NeilMed Sinus Rinse and stated that it was not available on the NHS prescription, but was available for the cost of around £10.00.  He also stated that it would be the best alternative to surgery and would reduce the allergens which were causing some inflamation of my nasal passages and that I would also benefit from the use of Otrivine nasal spray for a short period of time to reduce the inflammation.  He expected me to pay for this also.
 
So to sum up my visit to this NHS ENT specialist:-
 
1)  The ENT Specialist promoted a private company based in California to provide me with the medication I need, and expected me to pay for this.
 I was actually seeing him as an NHS patient.   He also expected me to pay for some further medication to relieve the inflammation.
 To be honest, I half expected him to hand me a bill for his consultation.  This was not what I had expected. 
 
2)  I was supposed to order my medication from NeilMed based in California, America; and far from it costing around £10.00, if I had ordered the starter kit, general kit, equipment and the satchets, it would have cost me in the region of £50 per month.  £50 a month I cannot at all afford, this being more or less half of my weekly pension; on top of which I would have been expected to pay postal charges.  I wonder how many specialists and doctors would be prepared to pay half of their weekly salary for a nasal rinse.
 
Can I point out also that this is not an expensive drug.  It is a mixture of salt, bicarbonate of soda and water.  There is nothing else added to this nasal rinse at all. Why then is it so expensive and why is it not available freely for pensioners.  Rhinitis and nasal drip are conditions which affects many older people but are not so prevalent in the young.
 
I am appalled that privatisation has seemingly already started within our NHS and I am fearful that what I experienced yesterday is just the start of worse things to come.