Would you pay higher taxes for NHS drugs for all? Poll discussion

ifan.goch

Becky wrote: »

Who pays for the fact that Wales have free prescriptions?

Does the whole of Britain or the EU pay for this?

The government at Westminster has devolved certain powers to the Welsh Assembly government in Cardiff. As it has devolved those powers to the Welsh Assembly, parliament then makes a grant of the money normally spent on those powers specifically in Wales. It is up to the Welsh Assembly how it then utilises the grant, and in this instance has chosen to provide free prescriptions for all people living in Wales. So in answer to your question, this costs the whole of Britain no extra money. All taxes paid by people living in Wales are sent to central government coffers and it is simply a return of a portion of that money raised by those taxes.

ifan.goch

If MPs think that the NHS is working well, why do they all have private health insurance? I believe that if you are elected to represent the people you should use those services that you consider good enough for the majority of the population and should be banned from taking out private health insurance. If MPs had to
1. sit on a waiting list for months just to see a consultant,
2. wait a few more months for treatment,
3. trek the length and breadth of the country to receive that treatment,
4. have appointments at the convenience of the hospital and not the patient,
5. be denied life saving treatment and drugs because they are too expensive,
then I am sure they would rapidly look at ways of improving the service. currently on offer.

pinkfluffybabe

dazchief wrote: »

I think people have a pre-conceived idea that the NHS is short of funds.

It is not.

What the NHS lacks is someone to have the strength and guts to provide the drugs to the most needy.

Money is wasted in the NHS; by the bucket loads.

1) The focus should be on the bio-medical patients, ie those patients have symptoms which can be seen and pro-actively treated.

2) Reduce the 'softer' treatements like giving boob jobs to 16 year olds because they are psychologically scared for life, or the 17 year old who had her legs broken and extended on the NHS so she should could be an air stewardess.

3) The NHS is for Britain, not for Europe/World.

Done!

Hear hear!

Am fed up seeing news items where people are taking the NHS to court because they can't have their stomach stapled or a boob job on the NHS. The NHS would be able to afford more treatments for medical conditions if it wasn't providing for the every whim of greedy people.

amoura12

I think some people are being very short sighted, they could be ill one day.

Ii am not ill and i do not know anyone who is ill, but if i was to need drugs that will help me in the future, i think i should be able to get them on the NHS regardless or where i live, or how much they cost. BUT if that means that i have to pay extra taxes then so beit.

Why not have a tax fund that is purely for these drugs so that we know that our money is going in the right direction.

Or put special prescription charges on these drugs so that the people who need them do pay for them even if they are exempt from paying for prescriptions normally.

We should also stop people getting NHS services if they do not have an NHS number. Let them pay privately.

SunnyBrighton_2

I would happily pay more for health education and improvement, and illness prevention. But I don't see why my money should go directly to big pharma whose sole aim is to make (extortionate) profits.

As Teddyco says, we could cut the requirement for drugs simply by living healthily. Why do we think we have the right to treat our bodies as dumping grounds for toxic products (and that includes the vast majority of items sold as 'food' in supermarkets), and then expect free drugs and treatments to suppress the symptoms so that we can carry on abusing our systems?

[Deleted User]

Doctors earn too much money, we should cap the top salary to 60K which is more then fair for teh type of work, GPs should be capped at 38K as they have possibly the easiest and cushiest job in the country. However the lower end - trainee doctors needs moving up a tad and more support during training. In order to get this expensive training they must tie themselves into the nhs for 16 years.

Ive came across too many doctors that just dont know there own job so frequent reevaluation and testing is required. Too many doctors dont know there a**e from there elbow and its killing thousands of people.

[Deleted User]

BTW you can declorinate your water just by letting it stand still in a jug for a day before use

I agree alot of drugs are simply for pharmacy companies profits and we'd be better off without them.

The worst of which are antidepressants, they are normally drugs with no know use but they spent alot devloping them so they package them up and give them to the nutters to mess them up and increase the rate of suicide.

jjoy

Thanks for your support amoura12, you may not be ill but I am.
I have arthritis, I have been treated for 10 years with same old drugs, all completely useless.
The only way I was able to try something that actually worked was via a drugs trial funded by the drugs company at my local hospital. Since the trial my life has completely changed for the better, unfortunately my NHS trust could not afford to pay for the treatment (£10,000 per year) so said I could not have it anymore. I have had to fight to get the only thing that gave me any real relief from constant pain.
Do any of you who have been saying they would not pay extra for the best drugs available know how that feels? I think not.

I work full time and pay my taxes despite having every opportunity to stay at home and get paid for it. I feel I have every right to the best care available to me and so does everyone else who should need it.

I'll calm down now but it makes me so angry! :mad:

[Deleted User]

order a shed load of morphine tablets from thailand, much cheaper then 10K

DavyBoy_2

teddyco wrote: »

...drugs have become the be-all, end-all cure of the 21st Century. It's all poison! The only good one..........aspirin.

The answer to all our health problems is not a fancy and expensive wonder drug, but a change to our health patterns and diet. ...

Are you telling me that Epilepsy is caused by diet, and that taking Aspirin will reduce grand and petit mal fits? That Cerebral Palsy (sp?) is diet induced, and Diet and Aspirin are the cure? That...
These medications exist not only to cure, but to greatly improve the quality of life, and to allow individuals to function in society, and ultimately, contribute back to it both financially and otherwise.

You hold good faith round these parts that I won't rant, but please don't assume all drugs are bad, and all problems are diet induced!