Paying for the NHS

The speed with which Britain is gaining weight suggests the need for more direct intervention. Persuasion has not worked.

1.1.     Key Finding

The assault on pleasure.  The speed with which Britain is gaining weight suggests the need for more direct intervention.  Persuasion has not worked.  By 2020 individual liberties may have to be curbed with unhealthy behaviours and foods financially penalised in the name of the common good.

1.2.     The Assault on Pleasure

The assault on pleasure is a growing trend that diminishes the liberties of the individual in the name of the common good.  Its impact is most apparent in the arenas of public health and the environment.  Over the past decade an increasing number of activities have become restricted.  For example the smoking ban, increasing speed restrictions, controls over the sale of confectionary and soft drinks in schools and hospitals.  These restrictions have been brought about directly and indirectly as the consequence of lobby organisations and tribes of individuals who openly and volubly deprecate some forms of consumption.  Our argument here is one of incrementalism; that there will be an ever increasing number of restrictions and prohibitions.

“We all know we should eat a healthy low fat diet, eat at least 5-a-day fruit/vegetables, exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, avoid excess salt, alcohol, smoking etc. But how many do anything about it? Unless unhealthy diet/lifestyle is penalised in some way no-one will change”.  Dr Sarah Brewer

We believe that there is a sizeable and growing group of individuals who, concerned at what they see as over-consumption, giving themselves over to what might be termed New Puritanism.  A group who impose restraint upon themselves in the pursuit of a ‘good life’.  This is a largely middle-class group who are not shy in expressing their disapproval of the behaviour of others. 

For a ‘binge-drinking’ society we are remarkably enthusiastic about the introduction of a minimum price on alcohol.

The New Puritan argument resonates in any discussion over how the NHS should be financed.  More than a third of our sample believe that the health service should give less priority to those who are unhealthy.  Our experts believe that it is unlikely that legislators would move to charge these individuals extra for treatment or de-prioritise them.

“As [being] overweight is a medical condition it may be difficult to charge extra fees (unless they have failed to lose weight after taking part in a medicalised program), but I would support additional costs for smokers.” Dr Sarah Brewer