Quote Originally Posted by SBRed48 View Post
1. You call it "making it less attractive", I call it putting a stop to the scam.

2. A simple example--There is this NHS hospital with an operating theatre open 24/7 with associated staff. Patient A with little spare income or medical insurance has a painful condition and sees consultant who recommends an operation. Later that day Patient B sees the same consultant with the same condition for the same amount of time but he has wealth or medical insurance. The consultant says (in flowery language) I can put you on the waiting list but you will be behind Patient A but if you pay me (ie go private) I can magically put you well ahead of Patient A and that poor bugger will have to wait as long as it takes. How is that helping Patient A ? Which queue are these private patients joining ?
1. How is increasing a tax rate closing a scam? If the Chancellor puts 20p on a packet of fags is that closing a scam? Increasing the tax payable for having a company car is no different.
2. In your example, patient B's decision will have no effect on patient A. It certainly won't push him backwards in the NHS queue as you asserted earlier.. But what about patient C who the Consultant sees the following day? He opts for NHS treatment and is one place further forward in the queue than he would have been had B chisen NHS. B is in an entirely separate private queue.