When you put the government in charge, you are sure to get less than optimal results.

Take this as an example of what the British health system is like.

One of the most decorated British fighter pilots of the Second World War has sold his medals, diaries and other memorabilia partly to pay for a hip replacement operation for his wife who faced at least a six-month wait on the National Health Service.

Sqn Ldr Neville Duke, 83, the Royal Air Force's top-scoring ace in the Mediterranean theatre who set a world air speed record of 728 mph in 1953, put the collection up for auction rather than subject his wife Gwen to months of pain and discomfort while she waited for an operation.

The standard waiting time for hip replacements in the orthopaedic department at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, one of the nearest facilities to the Dukes' home, is six months.

The couple was told that the wait might be up to 15 months -- an eternity for those in serious pain.

So much for the thanks of a grateful nation.

Posted by: Greg at 04:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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