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Whats a life worth?
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HOW MUCH IS A LIFE WORTH?
Inspired by the cuts in the n.h.s. And the mounting drugs
bill,how much is a life worth?
Board room.
A group of N.H.S. Managers and accounts sit around a large
table to discuss the current spending plans and how they
can make savings.
CHARACTERS
DR HARDING.
A good doctor. Middle class. Not
Posh just trying to do the best
he can. Being a doctors his life
MR. THOMPSONS.
Pompous ass. Good suite, large
frame, spectacles about 60 ish
DR PHLIPS
Slight of build, dressed as a
doctor. Wimpish about 30.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Going Bald. Late 40s. No
personalty. Only thinks about
budget.
JULIA.
Posh or thinks she is, Well
turned out. A bit dizzy.
The Board room is a plain room with Mr Thompson sat at the
top of the table with Dr Harding sat on his left and Julia
sat next to him. Dr Phillips is across from Julia and Bob
is next to him, to the right of Mr Thompson.
We join our team all sat in the board room at the end of a
conversation, and then....
Dr Harding.
I like to bring to the attention
of the board the case of Mr.
Fountain. 54 years old, father of
two who has advanced bowel
cancer. Mr. Fountain has only
weeks to live.
MR. THOMPSONS.
Lifts his head from the paperwork he is thumbing thru
Sad, very sad.
(In a soft tone, more to
acknowledge Harding
than to convey sadness)
DR HARDING.
Thank-you.
Slightly nodding at Thompson,unaware of the nature of his
comments.
However, there is a drug called
Avastin. It's new and I don't
know if anyone is aware of it's
benefits?
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
I'm am!
In a sharp disapproving manner.
DR HARDING.
Then your be aware of its life
extending properties?
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
I'm aware of it's hart stopping
price.
DR HARDING.
Yes its is expensive, but has
shown remarkable results in
extending a patients life.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes, but not actually cure?
He looks at his laptop,taping keys, etc.
DR HARDING.
No, not a cure. But a patients
life can be extended by quite a
few weeks.
MR. THOMPSONS.
Looking over his half round spectacles from the head of the
table.
Not a cure then?
DR HARDING.
No not a cure, but it can...
MR. THOMPSONS.
NOT A CURE!
Rudely interrupting with his tone of authority.
DR HARDING.
Yes but Mr. Fountain's life can
be extended by quite a few weeks.
MR. THOMPSONS.
Dave,Dave.
Taking off his glasses and staring into Dr Harding's eyes.
You know as well as anyone that
our performance is measured by
how man patients survive, not by
how long we can keep them alive.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
£21,000 per patient,
He erupts
£21,000 per patient, for a few
weeks more!
DR HARDING.
Yes ,but Mr Fountain is a much
loved husband and a loving
father.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes, but £21,000 per patient,
what can he do in a few weeks?
Invent a cure for blindness, the common cold or maybe he
can run from landsend to john John o' Groats and pay us
back with some sort of sponsorship.
DR HARDING.
In a slight humorous tone
No,
He's very poorly. He Wont be
doing a sponsored run.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
So Mr Fountain has nothing to
offer us in return for this 21
thousand pound investment?
MR. THOMPSONS.
We don't even get to notch him up
as a job well done?
Looking around the room for some sort of agrement from the
others at the table.
The others chuckle,laugh in some sort of sucking up
agrement.
DR HARDING.
But Mr. Fountain is a father of
two young boys.
DR PHLIPS
He looks over to Bob whit a compassionate tone.
Surly there must be something we
can do?
He looks towards Dr Harding with a slight smile. Then Looks
straight into the eyes of Bob.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Let me see.
He starts taping away at his laptop.
Hum,um
Dr Harding looks at Dr Phillips and the rest of the table
wait in anticipation.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT. (CONT'D)
Well,um, let me seeeee.
The room starts to look from one to another.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT. (CONT'D)
Got it!
You say Mr. Fountain is primarily a father
DR HARDING.
That's correct
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
And normally is at home shall we
say 12 hours a day.
DR HARDING.
Yes but,
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Bear with me,bear with me.
He taps a bit more on his keyboard.
And would you say Mr fountain has
four, maybe 6 weeks at the most.
DR HARDING.
Yes six weeks. With Avastin.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Six weeks with Avastin.
DR HARDING.
Yes
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
So how long without Avastin?
DR HARDING.
About two weeks.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
So were talking of about 4 weeks
extra?
DR HARDING.
Yes four week, but four weeks is
a long..
Bob interrupts him
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes,yes I know. 4 weeks,father,
husband. yes,yes.
He taps away on his keyboard a bit more.
OK!
A slight pause.
We can help Mr. Fountain For...
A slight pause.
£2002.56
DR HARDING.
£2002.56
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes!
DR HARDING.
But How?
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Simple economics.
I shall explain.
He taps again on his laptop and
explains in a quick unbroken confident manor.
Mr Fountain will live for a
further 4 weeks, shall we say, at
12 hours a day, we can replace
him with a migrant worker for
£500.64 Pence.
That's 2002 pound and 56 pence for the four weeks.
He lowers down the screen on his laptop, looks around the
room at the stunned faces. Grinning.
DR HARDING.
You, you what.
Stuttering he continues.
You'll replace him with a migrant
worker.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes, a migrant worker.
Let me tell you, if he had hung on till October, Things
could have been a bit more expensive.
DR HARDING.
A bit more expensive.
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Yes, minimum wage increases in
October.
Mr. Thompson looks up with a grin and a nod of approval at
the 15p an hour saving.
DR HARDING.
Hang on,hang on, let me get this
right. You plan on replacing Mr
Fountain with a migrant worker to
do what exactly?
BOB THE ACCOUNTNT.
Be a husband and a father. You've
already said he isn't up to much
else.
DR HARDING.
You can't just replace him!
MR. THOMPSONS.
Well It would keep us on target,
not too mention the increase in
our migrant worker totals.
DR PHLIPS
And it would mean you can afford
that fast scanner you wanted for
the department.
DR HARDING.
But Mr Fountain's such a nice
man.
JULIA
We have a polish Gardner, he's a
nice man.
MR. THOMPSONS.
I don't think we can use your
Gardner Julia.
JULIA
Oh no, you cant use him.
Beep Beep.
Dr Thompson reaches to his belt checking his pager.
DR HARDING.
It's Mr. Fountain.
He jumps up, heading out the door.
MR. THOMPSONS.
Well doesn't look like well need
your Gardner after all.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.