# FILE NAME: 00002019.soc
# TITLE: Should we give free access to the National Health Service for everyone? [105536f763a17c9be801c2f0af5d9c0c]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 3
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - Although the NHS is a struggling and underfunded service, we believe that everyone who lives in the UK should be entitled to free healthcare and treatment. If we were to remove this and offer healthcare to everyone, it would just increase the wait list for treatment and people who live in the UK may miss out. It is simply not viable.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - In general, the group was in favour of free access to the NHS for everyone. However, it was felt that there should be some caveats. In particular, the NHS should not be used as a 'free for all' and should be used for its intended purpose. This means that people should not be able to access the NHS for cosmetic surgery or other non-essential procedures. In addition, it was felt that people who are not citizens of the UK or asylum seekers should be charged a nominal fee for their treatment. This would help to reduce demand on the NHS and would help to prevent people from abusing the system.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - In general, the group was in favour of free access to the NHS. However, it was also agreed that the NHS is currently underfunded and that some changes are needed. The group was in favour of the introduction of a nominal fee for non-UK citizens, as it was felt that the NHS should be reserved for British citizens. The group also felt that the NHS should be reserved for people who live in the UK, and that it should not be available to people who are visiting the UK. The group felt that the NHS should be reserved for people who are in need of medical care, and that it should not be used for cosmetic procedures.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - The NHS was created in 1948 with the intention of providing healthcare free of charge to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. It is our belief that the provision of free healthcare is morally justified and necessary for the survival of our nation. However, the NHS is currently under severe strain. There is a large backlog of patients waiting for treatment and many people are waiting far too long for treatments which may affect their health or life expectancy. To help ease the strain on the NHS, we believe that certain restrictions must be placed on the free healthcare that the NHS provides. Firstly, we believe that healthcare should only be provided to people who are already resident in the UK. We believe that people who are non-British should be required to pay for any healthcare they receive. We also believe that healthcare should only be provided for illnesses or injuries which affect the person's ability to lead a normal, healthy life. Cosmetic or lifestyle treatments should not be provided for free.
3: 4,3,2,1
1: 4,3,1,2
1: 4,2,3,1