With a great fanfare, the Prime Minister promised free health checks for all. If we could afford this, bearing in mind that the NHS is working flat out and the Government is cutting back, it could save the NHS plenty of money in the future. Spend a lot more now, and save even more in the future?
All is not so simple as it appears. It seems that for the moment, and the Prime Minister forgot to mention this, initial screening will be restricted to the over-60s. Not only that, when doctor's salaries were last over-raised, the actual salaries to be achieved eventually were to pay for screening for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Many doctors have embraced this fully and routinely screen at least the elderly.
So why did the Prime Minister announce as future screening something that it already happening, and why did he imply that it would be for all age groups when there is little prospect of this larger screening taking place?
The short answer is "Spin", or if you prefer it "deceit".
PS. Reports on the proposed screening have used the word "mandatory". Did he really suggest this, and we are going to arrest citizens and frog march them down to the surgery?
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