We’ve long felt ambivalent about the role of charities which serve the NHS. Although almost every hospital seems to have a charitable fund associated with it, the way these operate – paying for bits of hospital equipment, for example – has often left us feeling uneasy. But all that might be about to change.

That’s because health-care rationing looks set for a comeback. As drugs become more expensive, the NHS is increasingly refusing to buy them – with patients apparently being given the option to fork out the extra cash themselves, if they can afford it.

And that’s where the charities could come in. As I understand it, much hospital-charity money currently gets spent on medical equipment that the NHS has a duty to provide anyway. That doesn’t seem quite right. But if the NHS draws a clear distinction between what drugs it will and won’t pay for, the charities could start paying for them instead.

This might not happen. But I think it should. Surely there’s no reason why not?
 

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Thanks to Dan Fletcher for getting me thinking about this.
 

 

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