Paul Krugman & the National Health Service
Aug 17th 2009, 8:27 pm
#1
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Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
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Paul Krugman & the National Health Service
Paul Krugman wrote a good piece in today's New York Times about the health care reform initiative. Isn't this statement of his inaccurate, though? He writes; "In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors."
I thought that in the NHS, general practitioners were self-employed and ran a small business just like doctors in America - so neither they nor their staff (receptionists, midwives, and other people attached to the practice) were directly employed by the NHS.
Am I right, partly right, or wrong??
I thought that in the NHS, general practitioners were self-employed and ran a small business just like doctors in America - so neither they nor their staff (receptionists, midwives, and other people attached to the practice) were directly employed by the NHS.
Am I right, partly right, or wrong??
Aug 17th 2009, 8:29 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Paul Krugman & the National Health Service
Paul Krugman wrote a good piece in today's New York Times about the health care reform initiative. Isn't this statement of his inaccurate, though? He writes; "In Britain, the government itself runs the hospitals and employs the doctors."
I thought that in the NHS, general practitioners were self-employed and ran a small business just like doctors in America - so neither they nor their staff (receptionists, midwives, and other people attached to the practice) were directly employed by the NHS.
Am I right, partly right, or wrong??
I thought that in the NHS, general practitioners were self-employed and ran a small business just like doctors in America - so neither they nor their staff (receptionists, midwives, and other people attached to the practice) were directly employed by the NHS.
Am I right, partly right, or wrong??
Aug 17th 2009, 8:40 pm
#3
UK>Bay Area, CA>UK
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 353
Re: Paul Krugman & the National Health Service
Indeed, partly right.
Some GP practices are 'run' by the primary care trusts, therefore the GP and staff within them are run by the government, via a myriad of organisational structure, that is the NHS and Department of Health. Also, in some cases, the practice nurses in some GP surgeries are employed by the PCT's directly, but the GP's are self employed.
There isnt really any set rhyme or reason.
Some GP practices are 'run' by the primary care trusts, therefore the GP and staff within them are run by the government, via a myriad of organisational structure, that is the NHS and Department of Health. Also, in some cases, the practice nurses in some GP surgeries are employed by the PCT's directly, but the GP's are self employed.
There isnt really any set rhyme or reason.
