Time to call time on the NHS?

Amongst all the pressure on the NHS and the privatisation by stealth there has just been a radically new idea suggested for regenerating a Surrey Hospital. Apparently Epsom District Hospital could be bought up by a millionaire and turned into a charitable trust. This is probably only one step away from NHS foundation trusts. It would be interesting to see if running a hospital as a charity would be any more effective than via government funding. The problem with the current funding system is that it is complex beyond belief, subject to the whims of politicians and fails to reward good practice. One idea which at the moment has not been aired but is a "fourth way" in NHS structure is having a totally independent NHS, free from Dept of Health control, a bit like the BBC where it would receive an allocation of money but it would be up to the organisation to plan it's own services without significant Government involvement. It's hard to say if this 4th way would work any better because at the heart of the problem is trying to meet infinite demand without always increasing the resources. This is something that politicians are not willing to admit.