NHS - Cross-Party Overhaul Desperately Needed?
Discussion
Everything seems to be falling apart, not least the NHS.
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
Don Roque said:
It always seems to be in crisis no matter how much money is thrown at it.
Agreed, it needs some serious overhauling. I only recently learned that there is no central recording system, so GP can't immediately see hospital records etc. How can that be right? No wonder nothing is done efficiently...Pitre said:
Everything seems to be falling apart, not least the NHS.
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
Labour goes into every election campaign claiming that if the Conservatives get/stay in they will immediately abolish the NHS. They can't do that if they work with them to agree reforms.Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
Pitre said:
Everything seems to be falling apart, not least the NHS.
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
No party is prepared to address the elephant in the room - the NHS is inefficient and too many of its staff self-serving. It is a guaranteed way of losing the votes of those who believe otherwise, so no one wants to take it on. It is, in short, a sacred cow.Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
S600BSB said:
You've clearly had a top Christmas day!
Maybe they have someone being failed by the NHS There are plenty of us ..
top heavy little or no accountability especially management, no joined up thinking etc it’s especially s
t if your old ,The lowest grades of staff are the best they really set a great example, as you get higher toward and above doctor some get more lazy arrogant and dismissive, the trust board hide in there ivory towers ,
Not wishing to tar all with the same brush , there are plenty of exceptional people working hard to make a real difference to people and their families lives..
Dr Jekyll said:
Labour goes into every election campaign claiming that if the Conservatives get/stay in they will immediately abolish the NHS. They can't do that if they work with them to agree reforms.
Yep !! It’s disgusting how labour think it’s ok to use the NHS as a political football, amazing how people don’t see or even condone it …Louis Balfour said:
Pitre said:
Everything seems to be falling apart, not least the NHS.
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
No party is prepared to address the elephant in the room - the NHS is inefficient and too many of its staff self-serving. It is a guaranteed way of losing the votes of those who believe otherwise, so no one wants to take it on. It is, in short, a sacred cow.Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
[snark mode] I'm sure though that the collective brains of PH will manage to point the finger of blame at the unions, 'middle managers', the labour party and eventually immigrants...[/snark mode]
tangerine_sedge said:
The elephant in the PH room, is that under this government, the service has been progressively getting worse. It started due to 'austerity' cuts and it's just got worse. There has been under-investment in services and the people who deliver those services, and possibly more importantly there has been under-funding in all types of social care, many of which impact the NHS.
There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
[snark mode] I'm sure though that the collective brains of PH will manage to point the finger of blame at the unions, 'middle managers', the labour party and eventually immigrants...[/snark mode]
Under this government funding has increased 40% above inflation. In the last three years alone by 10%, until we know why this increase has been accompanied by a fall in the number of operations carried out I don't think we should assume yet more money is going to solve the problem.There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
[snark mode] I'm sure though that the collective brains of PH will manage to point the finger of blame at the unions, 'middle managers', the labour party and eventually immigrants...[/snark mode]
tangerine_sedge said:
Louis Balfour said:
Pitre said:
Everything seems to be falling apart, not least the NHS.
Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
No party is prepared to address the elephant in the room - the NHS is inefficient and too many of its staff self-serving. It is a guaranteed way of losing the votes of those who believe otherwise, so no one wants to take it on. It is, in short, a sacred cow.Critical illnesses are possibly being treated effectively to some degree, but non-urgent treatment is pathetic, NHS dentistry is pretty much non-existant, A&E is a farce, old people on stretchers in hospital corridors, appointments missed on an industrial scale, long term care is on its knees, hospitals falling apart, understaffing? mental health care? Every aspect underfunded, etc etc etc etc.
Isn't it about time there was a cross-party long term strategy considered? Apparently John Major was asked about it and said it would "never happen". Why not?? What are 'they' so scared of?
There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
Remember tht as soon as the Tories get in they want to sell the nhs to the americans. As soon sd they get in. By 2011, it will no longer be free at the pojnt of use.
You'll see..
..any day now...
We need to decide what the nhs is for. Should it be preventative? Should it try to keep everyone, alive, forever? When should it Llow people to die of old age?
The staff pensions also needs examing. And the sheer number of staff support staff is huge, too.
You'll see..
..any day now...
We need to decide what the nhs is for. Should it be preventative? Should it try to keep everyone, alive, forever? When should it Llow people to die of old age?
The staff pensions also needs examing. And the sheer number of staff support staff is huge, too.
These sacred cows (the NHS being probably the biggest) are a key indicator that an elected official in the way we do today cannot be held responsible for them given the scale of both cost and time required to fix it.
As a general rule self interest will always raise its ugly head of the individual or the political organisation that individual or group is a part of.
I think political parties are an artifact of a time past, and are a deep seated root of many of the problems we face today. Time, effort and money is wasted on my party good, your party bad mentatility tub thumping about the problem rather than as many have said fixing it.
I've often thought a jury service model based on 1 in 100k people for a fixed term - say 2 years using ERNIE to select the "victim", would remove all this diversion, and allow folks to concentrate on moving forwards....
Of course turkeys will never vote for Christmas....
As a general rule self interest will always raise its ugly head of the individual or the political organisation that individual or group is a part of.
I think political parties are an artifact of a time past, and are a deep seated root of many of the problems we face today. Time, effort and money is wasted on my party good, your party bad mentatility tub thumping about the problem rather than as many have said fixing it.
I've often thought a jury service model based on 1 in 100k people for a fixed term - say 2 years using ERNIE to select the "victim", would remove all this diversion, and allow folks to concentrate on moving forwards....
Of course turkeys will never vote for Christmas....
Dr Jekyll said:
tangerine_sedge said:
The elephant in the PH room, is that under this government, the service has been progressively getting worse. It started due to 'austerity' cuts and it's just got worse. There has been under-investment in services and the people who deliver those services, and possibly more importantly there has been under-funding in all types of social care, many of which impact the NHS.
There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
[snark mode] I'm sure though that the collective brains of PH will manage to point the finger of blame at the unions, 'middle managers', the labour party and eventually immigrants...[/snark mode]
Under this government funding has increased 40% above inflation. In the last three years alone by 10%, until we know why this increase has been accompanied by a fall in the number of operations carried out I don't think we should assume yet more money is going to solve the problem.There is no cheap magic-bullet which will fix the NHS, that will only come once there is sufficient investment in a broad range of social services.
[snark mode] I'm sure though that the collective brains of PH will manage to point the finger of blame at the unions, 'middle managers', the labour party and eventually immigrants...[/snark mode]
williamp said:
Remember tht as soon as the Tories get in they want to sell the nhs to the americans. As soon sd they get in. By 2011, it will no longer be free at the pojnt of use.
You'll see..
..any day now...
We need to decide what the nhs is for. Should it be preventative? Should it try to keep everyone, alive, forever? When should it Llow people to die of old age?
The staff pensions also needs examing. And the sheer number of staff support staff is huge, too.
Yet, here we are. A sizeable number in PH declaring that something radical must be done, all prepped by the last 10 years to accept that the NHS is broken, that it's a leaky bucket that it's too big to be managed. The public are being conditioned to accept the cutting up of the NHS as the only way to improve it.You'll see..
..any day now...
We need to decide what the nhs is for. Should it be preventative? Should it try to keep everyone, alive, forever? When should it Llow people to die of old age?
The staff pensions also needs examing. And the sheer number of staff support staff is huge, too.
Yet, not so long ago it was performing significantly better that it is now. The right wing press has been gaslighting the public on this for a long time. The simple answer is to fund social care properly and the NHS, Police and all other services will improve.
Sorry, but it won't change.
I think it was Clare Short who reviewed it decades ago and concluded that the fundamental assumptions that we could supply all the welfare and healthcare the population needs never were going to be true. On top of that we have disincentivised marriage and children so our population is growing older more than it is growing economically, and the healthcare to keep non economically productive people alive gets better and better but more and more expensive each year.
And that's before we consider the value it has to both political parties by remaining massive and broken.
I think it was Clare Short who reviewed it decades ago and concluded that the fundamental assumptions that we could supply all the welfare and healthcare the population needs never were going to be true. On top of that we have disincentivised marriage and children so our population is growing older more than it is growing economically, and the healthcare to keep non economically productive people alive gets better and better but more and more expensive each year.
And that's before we consider the value it has to both political parties by remaining massive and broken.
tangerine_sedge said:
The simple answer is to fund social care properly and the NHS, Police and all other services will improve.
There isn’t a simple answer that is the problem. Just throwing money at all the services won’t help. Even throwing bodies at them won’t help. The institutions are struggling because of years and years of under investment, bad management, poor leadership, incorrect focus, political points scoring and lots of other things. The task of reforming them all to class leading functionality is far beyond funding and is too hard for any short term government to really do anything about Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff