>Jake,
>
>>Your suggestion that we will not live to old age in the US is directly refuted by the average life expectancy. My point that the NHS is killing the elderly as a matter of policy because they are too expensive, remains.
>
>Can you explain me, why you regard 'not treating terminally ill people' equal to 'killing people'? Sounds to me a typical strategy of misleading public opinion.

What the doctor is pointing out is that people are being put on the Pathway that are not "terminally ill".
In the example of the 71-year-old, Professor Pullicino revealed he had given the patient another 14 months of life by demanding the man be removed from the LCP.
Professor Pullicino said the patient was an Italian who spoke poor English, but was living with a ‘supportive wife and daughter’. He had a history of cerebral haemorrhage and subsequent seizures.

Professor Pullicino said: ‘I found him deeply unresponsive on a Monday morning and was told he had been put on the LCP. He was on morphine via a syringe driver.’ He added: ‘I removed the patient from the LCP despite significant resistance.’

The patient’s extra 14 months of life came at considerable cost to the NHS and the taxpayer, Professor Pullicino indicated.
He said he needed extensive support with wheelchair, ramps and nursing.

After 14 months the patient was admitted to a different hospital with pneumonia and put on the LCP. The man died five hours later.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161869/Top-doctors-chilling-claim-The-NHS-kills-130-000-elderly-patients-year.html#ixzz1yS39d9p0

This man would've died as a direct result of NHS policy even though he had at least 14 more months left when treated.

The points the doctor is making is clear :
He said: ‘The lack of evidence for initiating the Liverpool Care Pathway makes it an assisted death pathway rather than a care pathway.

‘Very likely many elderly patients who could live substantially longer are being killed by the LCP.

‘Patients are frequently put on the pathway without a proper analysis of their condition.

‘Predicting death in a time frame of three to four days, or even at any other specific time, is not possible scientifically.

>Healthcare in the US in general is far worse than that. Even if you are young, treatable, but don't have the money or just unlucky because your health insurance just does not cover the treatment you need, you might end up pushing up the daisies. Even if you scramble the $ you need to get treatment, you might end up facing personal bankrupcy for the rest of your life. That in itself would not increase life expectancy nor quality of life either.

>Walter,

I don't feel up to having this debate again. We know where we stand. Neither system is worth a damn in my opinion due to overbearing regulation, price fixing, and anti-competitive practices. That said, I'll prefer the US because here I am in control of the health care of my family.