Charge drunks for treatment says Lib Dems

Patients needing emergency NHS treatment after becoming drunk or incapacitated by drugs would be charged under proposals yesterday from Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman.

The plan is one of a series of policy shifts in a strategy paper he published before the party's annual conference in Brighton next week. Mr Lamb said: "If you get rat-arsed on a Friday night and get taken to A&E where you are foul and abusive to staff, is it right for the taxpayers to fund your life-saving treatment?"

I agree with this policy. If you are responsible for your ill health then you should be the one to pay for your own treatment. Tax payers should not have to fund your lifestyle.

I think this is the only decent policy that the Lib Dems have ever come up with. I think it will be the last too.