Abstract

Background: The funding of health care is a major challenge to governments all across the world; the UK presents a useful and illustrative case. Methodology: In this article I explain why the manner in which the provision of health care in the UK is organized is fundamentally incoherent and continuing to ignore this incoherence is bound to lead to ever-greater problems. Discussion: Our society must decide on its priorities; herein I do not wish to argue what these ought to be, but, rather more modestly, to emphasise the system's inconsistencies. Perspectives: A reorganization of the system is needed to ensure a modicum of consistency.