Jeremy Clarkson reneges on NHS criticism after needing urgent treatment

36 comments

1. Should make Farage have to try and flee a war zone next, see if that changes his views on immigration.

2. I mean ok. I would say that just because they did their job when you needed them to be time doesn’t make them immune to criticism. I said something much similar to him the other day. The NHS does need a massive rethink. They are also sometimes very good in an emergency. It’s not black and white.

3. Boomer conservatives capable of realising they’re wrong only when their idiocy affects them personally.

4. No reneging allowed, he should pay out of his own pocket.

5. Christ all sense of nuance is lost now isn’t it? 

   Yes, Jeremy Clarkson is a twat. 

   However, he can be right that there are critical structural issues within the NHS yet recognise that the staff that treated him were excellent. 

6. How did that title get past the editor? Very weird use of “reneges”.

7. The problem with the NHS is that it is both a place full of brilliant people who give you the care you need and an infuriatingly bureaucratic system of shoulder shrugging gatekeepers determined to minimise your symptoms and frustrate your pathway to getting that treatment.

   My experience is that the clinical care in the NHS is excellent but what they have done to access primary care is an utter disaster that is putting more strain on Acute care centres as a result.

8. NHS is great on anything urgent.

   It’s the GPs, waitlists, non-life threatening treatments where it falls apart.

   Pretty simple really, the essential stuff has remained essential, everything else left to rot.

9. >The presenter who called service ‘a creacking monster, says he’s ‘eternally grateful’ to medics who aided him

   What’s the issue here? The NHS has well known structural problems but we all appreciate the care given by medics when we get it.

10. The idea that we, as a nation, cant afford the NHS only comes from brain dead people. You need to put just a tiny bit of thought to realise.

    Cutting the NHS doesn’t mean that individually we will save money. People at still need to have the healthcare somehow. It means the government will cover less of our healthcare and we will individually pay vastly more than we currently do for the rest.

    What these cretins are actually asking for is all of us to pay more on healthcare annually. What is the benefit of us all paying more? So that companies can make more money.

11. Why should this change anything – shouldn’t he be paying for it?

12. To the shock of nobody. Remember Reform are campaigning on ending the NHS.

13. Both of what he said is true, the NHS does good at emergency situations, but also the NHS in some areas is also a creaking monster that can sometimes work terribly.
    I’ve dealt with a mix of both nhs and private this last year or so and agree with him on both counts.

14. Did people actually read the piece ? It referenced a previous piece where he said the country can no longer afford the NHS as it is, and he stood by that central view. And he has a point imo

15. People need to understand that criticism of the NHS, isn’t criticism of the people in it. Also it shouldn’t be immune from criticism. If you asked NHS staff if the system needs reform, I’d bet 90%+ of front line staff would agree.

16. Not for the first time iirc?

    The NHS main issues are waiting times and hospital buildings that are at the end of their life.

    It’s issue is not health outcomes or treatment quality.

17. Presumably the writer of this article, or at least the headline, didn’t read Clarkson’s piece. He very much does not renege on his opinion, he restates it at the end.

18. Poor conflicted man. Life saved by the NHS, but goes against what Rupert wants him to write

19. I had a family friend in the US that was super conservative small business owner. We used to go back and forth over universal healthcare. It wasn’t until he was over retirement age that he admitted I was probably right. While he was middle aged, he could afford a healthcare policy for his family. However, once he was over 63, they simply would not insure them. He was an asshole, but I do give him props for admitting it; same in this case.

20. I sometimes wonder if Clarkson is actually so good at this stuff. He criticises something, people start to focus on it because they hate him and the understanding of the underlying problems are more apparent.

    He being a farmer. Now we respect and appreciate farming more.

    Maybe it’ll be Clarkson’s GP Service next?

21. The hit pieces conveniently come out after he had a go at Ed Milliband I see

22. What the fuck is ‘a hot neck’ ???!!!

    The most Alan Partridge thing I’ve read in years

23. So his private health plan didn’t spring into action in his moment of need?

24. There’s a lot wrong with the NHS. There’s a lot of good too. Some people in the NHS are brilliant. Some are absolute twats.

    It’s quite complex really

25. Seems to be a common theme with Clarkson.

    Climate Change is only a problem once it affects his farm. The NHS is only good when he needs it for something. Hell, most of his shows are him trying something he previously made fun of and finding out that it’s actually hard-work.

    Hopefully it doesn’t take him getting run over to figure out why speed cameras are useful.

26. News that clarkson is an a prick is not a surprise to me. He is and always has been a click and rage baiter

27. I love the “we cannot afford it” coming from the super wealthy using private healthcare. How about insted of trying to privatise everything you and your mates chip in to fund it properly?

28. He’ll go back to hating it as soon as he is discharged. Thats how these people work. Trump supporters voted for him then said Mea Culpa, then voted for him again, twice, and now it’s Mea Culpa again…

29. Turns out “I’m alright Jack” doesn’t work when private healthcare is actually not up to scratch.

30. This is the fundamental problem.

    Everything’s a waste of money until it affects you personally or your nearest and dearest, and then it becomes hugely important.

    If people get out of this mode of thinking it’d be better for all us. It’s part of the problem of why we are where we are.

31. The best adverts for the NHS are those who needed it the most. A TV ad with loons like Clarkson’s words before/after are how you leverage these toxic idiots.

32. Ah, right wing twats following that familiar path. Empathy is their biggest enemy.

33. So he’s going to be vocally supporting the NHS and the policies needed to fund it going forward… right?

34. He might be a knob head at least he is willing and capable of changing his mind on topics.

35. In this current climate, we really need to give credit where it’s due when someone admits they’re wrong about something.

36. This is what Clarkson does. He generates a bunch of headlines by making controversial comments. Get’s a second round by standing by those comments. Then he gets a third round by saying he has now seen the light. Finally, he goes back to the start of the loop again.

    His favourite is doing this loop with climate change.

Comments are closed.