My daughter's mother-in-law, who is 72 and lives in the UK, has, in the last two years had one hip replacement, was then diagnosed with cancer of the womb for which she had a hysterectomy and follow up chemotherapy and then had the other hip replaced, all under the NHS and at no cost at point of service. Her doctors are now recommending that she considers having an arthritic knee replaced, but she feels that she has had enough surgery just for the moment.

Now, if the scare stories about the NHS were true, she would probably be totally crippled, if she were still alive. She did not have to hope that some faceless individual with a remit to make sure that shareholders didn't lose out on this year's dividend would consider that she was worth pouring cash into. She also did not have to worry that, having had one medical issue, her insurers would pull the plug on her cover. She did not have to worry about where the money was to come from for a co-pay if her cover did not extend to the whole cost of any procedure.

I agree - the 'death panels' are here in the USA right now. I think that you would find that, to anyone in the UK, the idea of a commercial concern making these sort of life or death decisions is a total anathema. The NHS is not perfect and there are tales of a 'postcode lottery' insomuch as where you live might govern whether or not your health authority will be prepared to fund certain medications or treatments, but the care is there without the bottom line for the company and its shareholders being factored in.