I was watching the 6 o'clock news tonight and Look North came on at 25 past, as it is wont to do.

Now I tend not to watch TV news much at the best of times, quite a lot of journalism in this country has unfortunately denigrated itself to the point where it as relevant to real news as an old dead gin whore is relevant to the image of todays London. Look North is no better than many of the shows these days but probably - except for stories similar to the ones I will talk about below - no worse either.

However, since I was busily feeding a four month old baby at the time and had no hands free, I had to sit through it and to no surprise whatsoever, one of Look North's patented sickly sweet emotional appeals appeared on the show.

I hate stories like that. The journalist who is on the scene is usually showing exactly why he or she is on regional news rather than the big time and is displaying an incredible lack of professionalism. The interviewee's aren't prepared and any emotional pull remaining in what has now become a rather old lame horse which badly needs destroying, has been removed by the journalist telling we have to be 'rendered emotional' by this 'tragic' story about the NHS not paying for this [insert fatal disease here], the big meanies.

What struck me however wasn't the fact that the BBC North team was running a crippled horse (again), but that the NHS seems to be refusing to pay for some cancer treatments which may prolong the lives of sufferers.

Usually, the justification for this seems to be one of cost. In this case, the cost of the treatments was £2,000 per month, but occasionally we hear about treatments which go up to three and four thousand pounds per month for the treatment.

To this I can only say 'Excuse me?'.

My fortnightly pay slip lists fifty quid taken out for the National Insurance, every single fortnight. Thats £1300 per year. Now I'm working at below the 'average' national wage, so Mr Average is probably paying a fair bit more than I am. There are also a lot more Mr/s Averages than just me, so we can safely count on quite a lot of money being contributed to National Insurance.

What I'm trying to say here is that National Insurance is there for a reason. Some people need it more than others, thats why insurance is sometimes regarded as being a bit of a gamble. Who the hell does the NHS think they are playing roulette with people's lives like this?

If a citizen of this country requires treatments for something and they have paid National Insurance - and unless you are self employed you don't even get the chance to not pay it - then that person should be given the treatment.

No question about it.

No quibbling about how much it costs. If the NHS is so concerned by costs, then they should spend less money organising art exhibitions and more on ensuring that the British public gets the health care they have been paying for. Because we are paying for it. Through the nose as well.

The NHS needs to get if its bony arse and start doing what its design brief calls for. Clean hospitals, good treatment. It's not science. The doctors, nurses and health care professionals look after the science. The NHS just needs to look after giving them a place to work.

Government is not a business, its a process. I don't want the government to turn a profit. If they have turned a profit, it means they are charging me twice. If they show a loss, they have squandered my money. or not taken enough. If you need taxes from me, take them, but use them wisely, don't speculate with them and don't misuse them. The government's job is to make sure the public can conduct their business. Its not for the government to conduct business of its own.

I know that sounds a bit idealistic, but its the spirit of what needs to happen.