UK backlash at NHS criticism

Criticism of the British public healthcare system, the National Health Service, by anti-reform campaigners in the US has triggered a backlash from British citizens.

Twitter users from Britain have posted their comments of support for the NHS to the hashtag '#welovetheNHS' and have added a "we love the NHS" 'twibbon' to their profile pictures. The hashtag has become a trending topic on twitter, one of the most talked about issues.

Several campaigners opposed to President Obama's healthcare reforms have cited the public health systems in the UK, as well as Cannada, France and Germany, as examples of how disastrous changes could be. However, it was an editorial article in Investors Business Daily that triggered the most criticism.

The editorial warns of the problems that would be caused if the US adopted a similar model for public healthcare and says the NHS' record reads "like a horror movie script." The article says "The controlling of medical costs in countries such as Britain through rationing, and the health consequences thereof are legendary,"

The article's author also claimed that the scientist, Stephen Hawking, "wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless."

Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was quick to say that Stephen Hawking was, in fact, British and had lived in the country his entire life. Bookman said "Hawking is, you might say, living, breathing proof that these people are first-class fools."

Erza Klien of the Washington Post said that the IBD article shows how conservatives will lie about healthcare. On her blog she said "It's not just that they didn't know that Stephen Hawking was born in England. It's that the underlying point was wrong, as you'll note from the continued existence of Stephen Hawking. They didn't choose an unfortunate example for an accurate point. They simply lied."

The article from Investment Business Daily not only sparked criticism in the US but also angered many in the UK.

The NHS has been in operation since 1948 and is one of the world's largest employers, with aproximaltely 1.33 million employees. Only 8% of Britons have private healthcare insurance and most use this along side NHS care.

One twitter user, posting to #welovetheNHS, said "It's not perfect, has a lot of things that make it annoying, but it's still better than the alternative!". Many other twitter users and British citizens were outraged by the criticism from the US and remain proud of the healthcare system despite its shortcomings. Another 'tweeter described the NHS as "one of this country's best achievements of the past century,".

Despite what the article in the IBD suggests, supporters of Obama's healthcare reform insist that the changes in the US will not create an American NHS. "It's worth emphasizing, for those who remain confused and misled, that Democratic reform proposals would not create a British system." said Steve Benen of Washington Monthly.