Trump has used a demo that has just taken place in London demanding proper NHS funding to campaign against universal health coverage in the US. He tweeted “The Democrats are pushing for Universal HealthCare while thousands of people are marching in the UK because their U system is going broke and not working. Dems want to greatly raise taxes for really bad and non-personal medical care. No thanks!”
According to the World Health Organization, Americans spend $8,362 per capita on healthcare annually, the Brits spend $3,480. And other than some cancer outcomes the UK has overall better health outcomes than the US.
The People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Health Campaigns Together [the march organisers] have issued this response:
“Dear Donald Trump
The NHS has existed since 1948 in the UK after the devastation of the second world war. The British population demanded the right to have access to healthcare which they deserve as human beings which is absolutely affordable when the right political decisions are made.
It has been a shining example to the world of what can be achieved when we put the needs of the collective good over the interests of a few wealthy individuals. Unfortunately, our current government have been persuaded to increasingly adopt policies which represent those of your Government, they have decided to move us more to an American-style system which is widely acknowledged to be one of the most expensive, inefficient and unjust healthcare systems in the world.
This is why our NHS is currently struggling and why leading Professors including Professor Stephen Hawking are bravely battling politicians who wish to turn it into a system like yours.
This is what our demonstration was about on Saturday 3rd Feb and tens of thousands of British people want to show their love for the principles of universal and comprehensive care free at the point of use, paid for through general taxation. We don’t agree with your divisive and incorrect rhetoric. No thanks.
Your sincerely,
The People’s Assembly and Health Campaigns Together”
Trump’s tweet so outraged the British public that even Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary largely responsible for the underfunding and progessive privatisation of the NHS felt the need to give a response:
“NHS may have challenges but I’m proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage – where all get care no matter the size of their bank balance,” he said.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party Leader also expressed his disagreement with Trump’s tweet: “Wrong. People were marching because we love our NHS and hate what the Tories are doing to it. Healthcare is a human right.”
