IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has written for The Daily Mail discussing Labour Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s comments on the possibility of market reforms in the NHS.

Outlining the failure of the NHS model, Christopher wrote:

“Last year alone, we spent no less than £277 billion for all healthcare — £229 billion of it on the NHS. That is 12 per cent of the UK’s entire GDP and more than £4,000 for every man, woman and child in England. It’s also well above the average of richer countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).

If we enjoyed world-class healthcare for our largesse, then this eye-watering bill might just about be worth it. But the NHS provides poorer value for money than healthcare systems do in many comparable countries.

For example, Britain has just 2.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 people. That is less than a third of the number in Germany; or even Bulgaria.”

Christopher also wrote:

“Tory ministers have outdone themselves to boast of spending ever more of our money on Britain’s ‘world-beating’ health service.

“This pathetic prostration before the NHS idol needs to stop. It’s time for the heretics to reveal themselves. And, mercifully, there is a sign that they are willing to do so — even if Tory ministers will not.

“It is both ironic and depressing that Labour, and not the supposedly free-market Tories, are the ones willing to have an honest debate about bringing a dose of commercial realism into our ailing NHS.”

You can read Christopher’s full article here.