Posted on 07/18/2009 1:02:58 PM PDT by Schnucki
British critics of the National Health Service say they are shocked to be featuring prominently in US television ads attacking President Barack Obama's health reforms.
A lobby group that supports the current free market in US health care is spending $20 million trying to derail Mr Obama's reforms - the centrepiece of his domestic programme - by broadcasting "horror stories" on television.
The advertisements include British and Canadian patients, who suffered long waits for operations in their home countries, were denied drugs they needed, or had to travel to the US for treatment.
The three Britons featured in separate television adverts are Kate Spall, whose mother died of kidney cancer after her treatment was delayed; Katie Brickell, diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer after being denied smear tests because she was too young; and Dr Karol Sikora, a leading cancer specialist who says patients lose their rights in state-run health systems.
They were interviewed by a professional video team for the anti-reform group Conservatives for Patients' Rights, accompanied by its founder, Rick Scott.
In the CPR video, Mrs Spall recounts her fight with the National Health Service for drugs to help her mother as the cancer spread. "She became a terminal cancer patient through waiting in the NHS," she said.
Mrs Spall, from Chester, who set up the Pamela Northcott Fund to fight for patient rights in honour of her mother, said that she "choked on her cornflakes" when she was told she was appearing in commercials on networks such as CNN and Fox.
"I had no idea that my comments would be used as a political tool when I was filmed," she told The Sunday Telegraph. "They asked me to talk about my experiences for their website.
"I stand by my words, but I'm not happy with
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
What free-market?? I doubt they support the status quo.
Absolutely.
Fixed it.
I stand by my words, but I'm not happy with the context they are being used in and I don't want to be embroiled in the health care debate in the US as I don't know the issues there. My story is my story and my experience is my experience."Tough titties, idiot. You're too freaking stupid to see how "your story" is relevant to our lives. Too freaking bad. Go cry in your British beer.Mrs Spall signed a waiver allowing the video to be used as CPR saw fit...
The NHS in Britain is appalling. Dirty wards, scruffy nurses, doctors who don´t speak english.
It was the best health care in the world once, Today is worse than a third world country.
Well, the hell with how they think it should be used. They spoke the truth.
They’re just miffed because someone is taking the Messiah to the woodshed.
Right, and it's not like folks in the U.S. couldn't just check out a British paper to read stuff like:
Patients with suspected cancer forced to wait so National Health Service targets can be hit
Hospital managers told researchers that treating desperately sick patients more quickly would “reflect badly” on their performance against Government cancer targets which only cover those referred to specialists by GPs.
Doctors, patients groups and politicians were appalled by what one described as a “breathtaking admission” which confirmed their “very worst fears” about how far the NHS target culture has gone in distorting clinical priorities.
Perfect example of why the Brits wound up with socialized medicine in the first place. Not enough people willing to speak out against it.
Stockholm Syndrome
I agree with you, but would love conservatives to quit calling him “the Messiah.” I am a Christian and even in sarcasm think this is blasphemous. Speak the truth. Obama is Satan. His arrogant thirst for power and disregard of law, manipulating unsophsisticated masses (and the MSM) is satanic.
Elderly face £20,000 bill upon retirement for care costs
Every adult could be forced to pay £20,000 upon their retirement to cover the cost of old age care services that they might never need or use, under government proposals.
Those who eventually move into a residential care home could then be faced with a further bill of around £17,000 a year to pay for their food and accommodation.
The proposals for a “compulsory care scheme” — the favoured option among ministers out of several announced yesterday — would mean that middle-class pensioners who have saved and paid taxes throughout their lives could still have to sell their homes to pay for old age care.
hose who do not pay a lump sum could choose to defer their state pension to meet the costs.
DailyKos is attacking Blue Dog Democrats as "traitors" and "terrorists" for holding up the healthcare plan. They are foaming at the mouth. They don't want a single minute of debate on this. They want it shoved through NOW.
I expect a lot more intelligence in Satan himself. obama is at best Satan's buffoonish minion, which is more than enough of a danger for our country and our freedom.
Except for spinning it as deceit, I wouldn’t worry. There’s plenty more documentation of this stuff in the British dailies. The folks opposed to national socialist health in the U.S. could save a fortune by just quoting British papers.
“I agree with you, but would love conservatives to quit calling him “the Messiah.”
When you claim that your coming will, among other things, stop the rising of the seas, you put yourself in line for as much sarcasam as is out there.
I get your wince at the use of the word, but Obama as well as millions of others seem to actually regard his political presence as being akin to a saviour.
Excuse me lady this isn’t political, we aren’t sheep and don’t drink kool-aid:
No bias there.
It won't be just the leftie blogs. The One is deeply pissed about these commercials. His enforcers will be making a full court press to enlist the MSM in (attempting to) utterly destroying their credibility (and the persons and organizations behind them).
Obama = anti-messiah
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