Why the rush to blame capitalism when simple human cultural memeing is at play? Medicine has fads. They are often stopped or started by one or two individuals. Various theories have been held out about various facets of medicine, and doctors often split into camps until they reconvene / one is proven wrong, etc. There is no need to even involve money yet as simple professional recognition and the desire for human popularity is at play. For example, basic research reveals that even in countries with socialized systems, tongue ties seem to be a thing that people now have
For example, the NHS has a whole page on it, with a link to an industry association to help you find a practitioner. Now, it would make sense that the doctors themselves wanted the procedure done (they get paid), but why would the NHS, who loses money, put this information out there unless certain doctors actually believed it?
I hadn't come across this "tongue ties" until now.
The article mentions that it is a condition that does exist even though is pretty rare. The fact that it is a recognised health condition should be enough for the NHS to put the information out there.
The other side of it is doctors who diagnose and operate.
Firstly, do you have any evidence that spurious diagnostics and operations are actually happening on the NHS at a rate that could be construed as either malice or rampant incompetence vs simple error? The article describes a situation where one of those (or both) is likely at play.
Secondly, if doctors are paid per procedure, how is that any different than a purely private system? The doctors's incentives go towards doing more of the procedures. Top that with the fact that the patients/parents have no financial incentive to avoid the operation, and you get a double whammy. The worst incentives of privatised health care topped with no (financial) incentive to stop the malpractice from happening.
For example, the NHS has a whole page on it, with a link to an industry association to help you find a practitioner. Now, it would make sense that the doctors themselves wanted the procedure done (they get paid), but why would the NHS, who loses money, put this information out there unless certain doctors actually believed it?