The NHS charges by time, not by money. People 'pay' by waiting. Rich people waiting the same time as poor people pay more in money terms because their time is m

The NHS charges by time, not by money. People 'pay' by waiting. Rich people waiting the same time as poor people pay more in money terms because their time is more valuable. The queue is managed via clinical need as assessed by professionals. That breaks when people can pay in real money. Since the system is supply constrained all that does is reserve scarce medical resources for those with money rather than those with the most need. It allows rich people to jump the queue - just like the 'VIP' lane at a theme park. Queue jumping in the UK was always frowned upon. The ultimate social faux-pas. That seems to be weakening in recent years and the 'time as money' system is weakening with it.