The Conflicted Priorities of Britain’s Government-Run Health System

Britain’s public health system has said that heroin addicts may be given access to swine flu vaccine earlier than Britain’s general population, as they are unusually vulnerable.

Last week, a 22-year-old man from Essex, England with liver disease died after he was denied a liver transplant by the same health system. Active alcoholics aren’t allowed transplants, even if they commit to stop drinking, as Gary Reinbach did. His brother, Luke, told the press, “They never gave him the chance to show he could change.”

Whether you agree or disagree with these decisions, are they the national government’s to make?


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The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.