UK faces " Randontimeinthefuturethatnobodyknows BOMB" from ageing population

lukeh23

Cull the boomers.

danothy

lukeh23 wrote: »

Cull the boomers.

Forced breeding programmes.

michaels

Problem with charging for the NHS is then it becomes a bit like the lack of housing disaster, something else that means for the low paid working just does not pay.

wotsthat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Easier, though, like you say, to simply charge for everything. Whether that's through a new tax, insurance type scheme or some other way would be up to people high above ourselves!

The rub being that the oldies would still have to be paid for by someone else because it sounds as if they've got a debt timebomb to sort.

It's really simple to sort. Spending cuts, tax increases, charging for previously 'free' services, a bit of immigration, investing in technology, delayed retirements etc. Only the politics are complicated.

I'm not sure what sort of demographic hump we have. I think it's less pronounced that the boomers in the US so it's not just a case of making do until the boomers snuff it and living happily ever after either.

tincans6

StevieJ wrote: »

We can start with no-brainers like a £20 charge for appointments (refundable when people turn up).

Personally wouldn't be against this however the unintended consequences are;

1) £20 would not stop me (and plenty of people) from missing appointments.

2) £20 would be a huge disincentive for some, mainly the poor & the old.

There are 15 million people over 60.
40% of those over 65 have some kind of long term limiting illness.

The government seem to think its a good idea to increase pensioner benefits - despite that fact that many are very well off, and those who are claiming all that they are entitled to are not remotely in poverty.

No real easy solution.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

The higher migration scenario would radically reduce the national debt to just 40% of GDP versus the lower migration scenarios.



Are people really so xenophobic that they'd rather slash services and benefits by a quarter and lose free universal healthcare than accept the levels of immigration that would resolve the national debt and ageing crises?

I think not....

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Are people really so xenophobic that they'd rather slash services and benefits by a quarter and lose free universal healthcare than accept the levels of immigration that would resolve the national debt and ageing crises?

I think not....

Couldn't even get past the first page without this nonsense.

It's NOTHING to do with being Xenophobic.

Importing loads of people, wherever they are from requires infrastructure spending. You will never discuss this.

All your figures assume it costs us nothing to import people. It does though. it costs hauliers who cannot get around the UK on congested roads. It costs hospital beds. It costs people who cannot get access to services etc etc.

My view would be different on immigration should we have the infrastructure to cope with it. But we don't. We already have the most congested roads in Europe. That's not something to be proud of or indeed revel in and make worse.

Carl31

StevieJ wrote: »

We can start with no-brainers like a £20 charge for appointments (refundable when people turn up).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17298612

why refund it?

I think appointments should be charged at the current amount that a prescription costs, with no prescription charge should you need treatment

That would reduce some strain on GPs, and generate a little more revenue. I would pay £9 or whatever to see a doc if i was ill

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Importing loads of people, wherever they are from requires infrastructure spending. You will never discuss this.

And that infrastructure spending is included in the OBR-s debt forecasts. So no need to discuss it as it's a red herring.

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

And that infrastructure spending is included in the OBR-s debt forecasts. So no need to discuss it as it's a red herring.

Forecasts are one thing.

Reality is another.

The reality is we haven't built the infrastructure required (or even come close) over the last 12 years of increased immigration.

This reality was being talked about at PM's questions just an hour ago with Education in the South East showing dire issues due to populations the system simply cannot cope with.