{"id":327469,"date":"2025-08-08T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/327469\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T09:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:00:11","slug":"rob-colwell-argues-that-nhs-care-should-always-remain-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/327469\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Colwell argues that NHS care should always remain free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this week\u2019s Friday Politics column, Lib Dem councillor puts forward his case for NHS healthcare to remain free\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having spent nearly five years campaigning for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild due to Government delays, I\u2019ve been reminded in the last month about how amazing our NHS is.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also been reminded why we should all be thinking carefully about how we vote in the next general election, to ensure its ongoing survival after 76 years.<\/p>\n

\"RobRob Colwell at a recent event showcasing designs for the new QEH<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had family require treatment over the years and have always been so grateful for the NHS.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been lucky to enjoy good health, but last month I was hospitalised at our QEH for three days and have had ongoing support the last month from the hospital and my doctor surgery.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m fighting fit now, but witnessed firsthand the kindness, dedication and commitment of doctors, nurses, porters, cleaners and receptionist. Our NHS is something special and to be cherished, the envy of the world.<\/p>\n

\"RobRob Colwell has paid tribute to the many nationalities who work at the QEH<\/p>\n

We have seen politicians across all parties\u2019 express concern about the NHS being in crisis. Many demand for it to be properly funded, others call for it to be modernised, and some suggest it should be replaced with a health insurance scheme.<\/p>\n

I am firmly of the view it must be saved in its current format and funded properly, as a vital cornerstone of the UK\u2019s social and moral contract.<\/p>\n

The Liberal MP William Beveridge was a progressive and social reformer. He is usually considered the \u2018father of the welfare state\u2019 and produced a report in 1942 \u2018Social Insurance and Allied Services\u2019 which served as the basis for the NHS creation in 1948.<\/p>\n

The NHS has provided free, universal healthcare to all, regardless of income or status. It represents fairness, compassion, and equality, principles that define a just society.<\/p>\n

It is also one of the UK\u2019s most trusted and cherished institutions. It plays a crucial role in emergency care, public health, disease prevention, and long-term treatment of chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n

From childbirth to end-of-life care, the NHS supports people at every stage of life. It was essential for managing the national health crisis during the Covid pandemic.<\/p>\n

Our NHS today is much changed and simply could not function without medical professionals from around the world.<\/p>\n

I met many nationalities during my stay and these migrants make our NHS. I want to thank them all and make sure they know how welcome they are here in West Norfolk and around the country.<\/p>\n

A poster on the lift at the QEH showed nearly 70 nationalities. The hospital is proud of its equality, diversity and inclusivity.<\/p>\n

There are concerns Reform UK will move to a partial insurance-based system similar to France, forcing people to pay towards their care.<\/p>\n

Without the NHS, millions would be left vulnerable, unable to afford private medical care. Health outcomes would worsen, especially among the most disadvantaged.<\/p>\n

Letting the NHS collapse under funding cuts, staff shortages, and creeping privatisation would undermine public wellbeing and national unity.<\/p>\n

Modernisation and investment are needed, not abandonment. That includes NHS dentistry with Norfolk a dental desert and recent MPs incapable of resolving the crisis, children going unchecked and people pulling out their own teeth.<\/p>\n

Saving the NHS means protecting not just a healthcare system, but a fundamental part of Britain\u2019s identity and future. It is not just about health – it is about the kind of country we choose to be.<\/p>\n

Liberal Democrats will always campaign to save our NHS – we believe that everyone deserves high-quality healthcare, but we can\u2019t fix the NHS unless we fix the crisis in social care too.<\/p>\n

We all look to 2032 and the rebuild of our QEH – let\u2019s hope it will still be free to use by the time it opens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In this week\u2019s Friday Politics column, Lib Dem councillor puts forward his case for NHS healthcare to remain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":327470,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4316],"tags":[105,4348,391,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-327469","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-opinion","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114992331061965978","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=327469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/327470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=327469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=327469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=327469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}