Written evidence submitted by John Sullivan
I am responding to the letter from Jesse Norman in
the Guardian today 26 April 2011, regarding PFI & public
debt.
Can I ask whether or not the committee will take
into consideration the status of the NHS when PFI was introduced,
and the extremely long waiting lists for treatment. Plus the excessive
cost of so many treatments, due to the ancient hospital buildings
modern medicine was being attempted within.
It should be remembered that the millions of extra
operations realised because of PFI relieved pain and suffering,
for the very taxpayers that were suffering on the up to two year
waiting lists. Furthermore whilst the waiting lists were waiting
lists for so many, they were also death lists for far to many.
Too many people died unnecessarily on the NHS waiting lists prior
to the introduction of PFI & the investment in the NHS by
the last government.
PFI is not simply a case of balancing the books,
PFI was a means to an end, an end to the suffering of millions
waiting in pain and many dying whilst waiting it was the only
way to improve the quality of life for millions in a
short space of time.
I therefore sincerely hope that the accountant mentality
being put forward by some, can be balanced with all of the facts
and not a selective set of figures that give no credit whatsoever
to the benefits millions of in pain taxpayers have gained from
PFI. Or to the huge interest we would still be paying on loans
rather than PFI.
Literally millions of tax payers have had their taxes
spent on having their lives made pain free or had their lives
saved by the introduction of PFI, so what price do the anti PFI
accountants put on pain or life ???
Compared to the ongoing cost of war over this period
of time, it seems to me PFI has benefitted British taxpayers far
more than all the bombs and the bullets. but I suppose it is a
matter of your priority.
Jesse Norman suggests taxpayers are concerned about
the cost, but as one tax payer who is alive today thanks to PFI
along with further investment in the NHS up until this year. I
suggest none of the people alive today or pain free today thanks
to the provision of new hospitals via PFI, are among the concerned.
April 2011
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