But let’s bring about a similar single-payer system here, subjecting our citizens to rationing and bad quality care, just because Ted Kennedy died. That reasoning makes sense if you’re a liberal.

Let’s keep in mind that the one million figure is based on Britain’s (about) sixty million citizens. We have a population about five times that size, with over 300 million citizens. So let’s just multiply the figure by a magnitude of five.

Who’s up for a headline about how five million Americans received “cruel and neglectful” care under a system that bankrupted the nation and shoved millions off private plans? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

In the last six years, the Patients Association claims hundreds of thousands have suffered from poor standards of nursing, often with ‘neglectful, demeaning, painful and sometimes downright cruel’ treatment.

The charity has disclosed a horrifying catalogue of elderly people left in pain, in soiled bed clothes, denied adequate food and drink, and suffering from repeatedly cancelled operations, missed diagnoses and dismissive staff.

The Patients Association said the dossier proves that while the scale of the scandal at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust – where up to 1,200 people died through failings in urgent care – was a one off, there are repeated examples they have uncovered of the same appalling standards throughout the NHS.

While the criticisms cover all aspects of hospital care, the treatment and attitude of nurses stands out as a repeated theme across almost all of the cases…

The charity has published a selection of personal accounts from hundreds of relatives of patients, most of whom died, following their care in NHS hospitals…

“If this was extrapolated to the whole of the NHS from 2002 to 2008 it would equate to over one million patients. Very often these are the most vulnerable elderly and terminally ill patients. It’s a sad indictment of the care they receive.”…

Pamela Goddard, a piano teacher from Bletchingley, in Surrey, was 82 and suffering with cancer but was left in her own excrement and her condition deteriorated due to her bed sores.

Florence Weston, from Sedgley in the West Midlands, died aged 85 and had to remain without food or water for several days as her hip operation was repeated cancelled.

The NHS is desperately trying to save face by downplaying the percentage of patients who suffered under the system. They say that only about 2% of those receiving care report such issues, but let’s translate that into actual numbers, shall we?

Two percent of sixty million citizens translates to about 1.2 million people. Two percent of 300 million people, our population, would mean about 6 million people. Does anyone find that acceptable under a system that purports to be providing quality care for all citizens, while driving private industry out of business, rationing care, and removing personal choice?

Via HAH.