Comments on: UK OFFICIALS LIVE LARGE WHILE PATIENTS DIE http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:31:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227302 Catron Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:27:43 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227302 "You talk as though no American politicians are caught with over-active snouts." Thank you for making my point. This is precisely why I don't want them running our health care system. “You talk as though no American politicians are caught with over-active snouts.”

Thank you for making my point. This is precisely why I don’t want them running our health care system.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227230 Marc Brown Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:23:17 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227230 David, you talk as though no American politicians are caught with over-active snouts - in fact the UK political system is probably the most uncorrupt in the world. And it is about time you engaged properly in the drug debate. To dismiss out of hand the arguments put forward by some of your own doctors about over-treatment and often horrendous side-effects, while possibly bankrupting families with hugely expensive drugs for no survival benefit, does you no favours. As Harrington and Smith say in their paper on the role of chemotherapy: 'Through honest and respectful communication about the last stages of cancer, physicians can give patients a genuine choice about how to spend their last phase of life.' David, you talk as though no American politicians are caught with over-active snouts - in fact the UK political system is probably the most uncorrupt in the world.

And it is about time you engaged properly in the drug debate. To dismiss out of hand the arguments put forward by some of your own doctors about over-treatment and often horrendous side-effects, while possibly bankrupting families with hugely expensive drugs for no survival benefit, does you no favours. As Harrington and Smith say in their paper on the role of chemotherapy: ‘Through honest and respectful communication about the last stages of cancer, physicians can give patients a genuine choice about how to spend their last phase of life.’

]]> By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227091 Catron Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:48:59 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-227091 Marc, that has got to be the most unconvincing argument I have ever read for snout-in-the-trough MPs. As to Maggie Mahar, I've read the post to which you refer. She's a cocktail party progressive and the post is hopelessly trite. Marc, that has got to be the most unconvincing argument I have ever read for snout-in-the-trough MPs.

As to Maggie Mahar, I’ve read the post to which you refer. She’s a cocktail party progressive and the post is hopelessly trite.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-226075 Marc Brown Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:42:43 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/07/06/uk-officials-live-large-while-patients-die/#comment-226075 MPs are elected representatives - not government officials. Most come from ordinary walks of life and would be unable to attend parliament without an allowance for a London residence. Parliament in the UK sits for a lot longer than the US congress and MPs salaries are not great. So in fact this is about stimulating democracy and not - as in the US - requiring wealth to be a politician (and in any case don't congresspeople get $1 million a year to run offices?). As for the cancer drugs, I suggest you read Maggie Mahar's excellent post on a study about balancing drugs with end of life care. http://takingnote.tcf.org/2008/06/do-we-need-to-r.html MPs are elected representatives - not government officials. Most come from ordinary walks of life and would be unable to attend parliament without an allowance for a London residence. Parliament in the UK sits for a lot longer than the US congress and MPs salaries are not great. So in fact this is about stimulating democracy and not - as in the US - requiring wealth to be a politician (and in any case don’t congresspeople get $1 million a year to run offices?). As for the cancer drugs, I suggest you read Maggie Mahar’s excellent post on a study about balancing drugs with end of life care.

http://takingnote.tcf.org/2008/06/do-we-need-to-r.html

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