>> Yes there is a difference in the outlook of a large element of the UK
>> population. They have little sense of belonging to a larger community, care only for themselves
>> and their rights. That combined with the poor education of many and a national obsession
>> with alcohol makes it near impossible to implement a lock down policy as efficient as
>> that in Germany let alone S Korea.
>>
>>
Our performance is broadly in line with Spain, France and Italy and behind Germany by a long way. We do drink about 10% more per capita than the Germans mind you... But the German healthcare system is very different to ours. They have a national health insurance system, but they do not have a national health service. The provision of services is decentralised, and provided by a combination of private and not-for-profit organisations. It also, perhaps as a result, acknowledged to be the most consumer (or patient) focussed health system in Europe.
One of the problems in the U.K. IMO is the deification of the NHS, with any criticism or attempt to reform it seen as a challenge to the very purpose of it. That’s partly eduction driven...how many people understand how other systems work, and partly brainwashing really. We’re told that the NHS is the best healthcare system in the world, but it really isn’t. It’s job is to protect us, and yet the mantra has been for us to protect it. The NHS isn’t that good from a patent perspective, except in an emergency when it reacts magnificently. But this just leads to further deification. It’s a challenge. Any attempt to make the system more Germanic is derided by the left as ‘privatisation’, and yet should provide a far better service. How you transition from one system to another is possibly the biggest challenge, but we need to start...
I suspect the reason Germany has performed better is that it’s old people are generally more affluent, their care homes are better run, they have better (privately run) hospital bed provision and more beds available. Decisions are also made regionally...they don’t have a Nicola Sturgeon sending covid positive patients from hospital to care homes by diktat. In fact, the whole German health care system is run by professionals, and is the largest single sector in their economy (when you include the manufacture of medical equipment, supplies and services). I imagine e the German equivalent of the civil service also had a plan for a pandemic, whereas our civil service seems to have lived up to the ‘Yes Minister’ reputation rather too well. I mean, what was PHEs plan for a pandemic...?
Also, the Germans are better at following rules ;)
(That’s a joke...in my journey through France, Italy, Austria and Germany in the summer social I saw no real differences in social distancing, mask compliance or gatherings of people than at home)
|
