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IF INCREASING INCOME TAX IS SEEN AS POLITICALLY UNACCEPTABLE WHAT OTHER MEANS CAN BE USED TO FUND THE NHS Funding has always been an issue within the NHS. It is a problem that has faced all governments. The flu epidemic of January 2000 brought about strong criticism of New Labour’s health record. The media highlighted the inadequacies of health spending in the UK compared to other European countries. The UK spend 6.7% of GDP whereas France spend 8.9% and Germany spend 10.4%, this is a significant difference and this shows a difference in the quality of their health care compared to ours. However, raising taxes is seen as politically risky as it could be a vote loser. However, there are other means of funding the NHS other that raising taxes. For example; hypothecated tax, by encouraging more private health insurance, the introduction of user charges, the introduction of compulsory state approved insurance, and special savings accounts. The advantages to hypothecated tax is that taxpayers would see exactly where their money was being spent and this may have the effect of making taxpayers less resistant to paying additional taxation.
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