How to solve the NHS funding crisis

GwylimT

Cakeguts wrote: »

What do the technicians do apart from taking x-rays?

It depends on the hospital, at Bronglais nothing, at others they may supply equipment for CT's etc similar to a theatre technician.

Primrose

Our GP surgery flags up on a screen the number of missed (non cancelled). appointments every month. It runs at around 400. We can,t book online because no slots are ever available. You have to queue up from around 7 am on the day. I!!!8217;d fine every non appearance £10. Even most poor people surely have phones whereby they can ring and cancel a no longer needed appointment?

Th NHS has been a party political weapon for decades. We need to take it out of the political system and get agreement on some common issues which could then be worked on and implemented for the future.

As a Free At the point of access though, I think its had its day. There are too many of us now for it to be affordable. I also think, perhaps controversially, that if certain people deliberately refuse to take care of their health, like choosing to smoke or over indulge in alcohol there should be some kind of penalty for using the NHS. Yes, that may seem unfair, but nobody forces them to smoke or become alcoholics and the money spent on treating their subsequent diseases could be better spent on those whose illnesses or conditions are not brought about by their own health mismanagement.

StevieJ

Primrose wrote: »

As a Free At the point of access though, I think its had its day. There are too many of us now for it to be affordable. I also think, perhaps controversially, that if certain people deliberately refuse to take care of their health, like choosing to smoke or over indulge in alcohol there should be some kind of penalty for using the NHS. Yes, that may seem unfair, but nobody forces them to smoke or become alcoholics and the money spent on treating their subsequent diseases could be better spent on those whose illnesses or conditions are not brought about by their own health mismanagement.

80 to 90% of the cost of a packet of cigarettes is tax, seems like a penalty to me.

POPPYOSCAR

Primrose wrote: »

Our GP surgery flags up on a screen the number of missed (non cancelled). appointments every month. It runs at around 400. We can,t book online because no slots are ever available. You have to queue up from around 7 am on the day. I!!!8217;d fine every non appearance £10. Even most poor people surely have phones whereby they can ring and cancel a no longer needed appointment?

Th NHS has been a party political weapon for decades. We need to take it out of the political system and get agreement on some common issues which could then be worked on and implemented for the future.

As a Free At the point of access though, I think its had its day. There are too many of us now for it to be affordable. I also think, perhaps controversially, that if certain people deliberately refuse to take care of their health, like choosing to smoke or over indulge in alcohol there should be some kind of penalty for using the NHS. Yes, that may seem unfair, but nobody forces them to smoke or become alcoholics and the money spent on treating their subsequent diseases could be better spent on those whose illnesses or conditions are not brought about by their own health mismanagement.

That is all well and good but what about people that put themselves in danger for example?

Should those that play sports etc. and get broken legs etc have to pay a premium as well?

Just how would it be determined?

westernpromise

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

You can read it here: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20150407084003/http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/

There are 290 recommendations. See what you think.

Completely damning and yet not one of these evil greedy vermin has been jailed. The consequence-free public sector for you. Scum.

westernpromise

Pennywise wrote: »

Labour trebled NHS spending and didn't "save it"!

You could increase its funding by a factor of 100 and it would still be "in crisis". Nothing would change except that the "cleaners" would be driving Jags as well as the doctors.

"If you want a vision of the future, Winston, imagine a human face sucking on a giant tit - forever."
- Gorge Orwell

antrobus

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

They do though. I'm a nurse, I work in the community now, but I spent many years on wards cleaning up bodily fluids every day!

I didn't say that nurses did not 'clean up', I said that they don't normally do it. HCAs are supposed to do it.

In my experience, hospital nurses will delegate clean up to HCAs. It's different for DNs; they have to deal with whatever they find when they turn up. I've had those as well.

Red-Squirrel_2

antrobus wrote: »

I didn't say that nurses did not 'clean up', I said that they don't normally do it. HCAs are supposed to do it.

In my experience, hospital nurses will delegate clean up to HCAs. It's different for DNs; they have to deal with whatever they find when they turn up. I've had those as well.

You’re still wrong though.

antrobus

Primrose wrote: »

Our GP surgery flags up on a screen the number of missed (non cancelled). appointments every month. It runs at around 400. ...

Mine seems to be about 120 a month. You normally get a text reminder of an appointment, you can cancel quite easily.

I don't think the number of cancelled appointments signifies that much. It's the percentage that matters. 400 cancelled appointments a month might be 1% or less of GP workload.

Primrose wrote: »

Th NHS has been a party political weapon for decades. We need to take itics is st out of the political system and get agreement on some common issues which could then be worked on and implemented for the future.

You could say that about anything. If only we could all agree about what needs to be done, we could get it done. But we don't. Politics is simply the name we give to the process for deciding what needs to be done.

Primrose wrote: »

As a Free At the point of access though, I think its had its day. There are too many of us now for it to be affordable...

It's either free at the point of access, or you levy a charge. That simply moves the cost (or part of it) onto those who are sick. That has no effect on affordability.

Primrose wrote: »

...
I also think, perhaps controversially, that if certain people deliberately refuse to take care of their health, like choosing to smoke or over indulge in alcohol there should be some kind of penalty for using the NHS. Yes, that may seem unfair, but nobody forces them to smoke or become alcoholics and the money spent on treating their subsequent diseases could be better spent on those whose illnesses or conditions are not brought about by their own health mismanagement.

As I have already pointed out, alcoholic smokers will likely die young having contributed millions in tax. It's those healthy bs that cost the NHS.

The pressures on the NHS (and social care) directly stem from the ageing population. It's because more people are living into their 70s, 80s, and beyond. The OBR believes that we need to spend an extra 8% of GDP by the year 2045 just to keep up.

I think that's about an extra £3bn or £4bn a year.

dotchas

antrobus wrote: »

Don't know. But nursing is now graduate entry only as well. I think that's quite recent.

Thinking about it. When I went to university in, well lets see , I got a grant, so it was some time ago, I was in the top 5% or was it 10%. Now with every poly and technical college upgraded to a university it's more like 50%.

So I'd guess that 40 years a radiographer went to a tech and got a two year HND, now they go to the same institution under a different name and do a three year degree.

I trained as a radiographer in the 80's, one of the first intakes to do a 3 year diploma, now its a 4 year degree course.