AIBU to ask if you believe that a labour government will go some way to fixing the NHS?

No !!

i don’t believe the issue is money. I think we need to start having an honest national discussion about the money that has been put into the NHS over each of the last 20 years and the targets that have been achieved.

I sat for three hours last month in an almost empty hospital waiting room. There was one Consultant working and 5-6 Nurses. The treatment I received was fabulous, but there is no way that Hospital was working at peak efficiency.

The heating was on so high that people were stripping off and opening windows to try and achieve an acceptable working temperature.

Afterwards, I went to try and find my blood tests results. The NHS App told me to check my GP online system. My GP online system told me to look on Patient Knows Best.

This wasn’t an isolated experience. I have experienced quite a few appointments over the last few years that have left me incredulous. Including one where the Consultant apologised and said I shouldn't have been referred to him, but rather to his colleague so they would have to call me back another time (three months later). I have also been held on a ward for an extra 24 hours because there was no one available to write my discharge letter and prescribe the drugs I needed.

The staff I have met are always lovely but there is massive inefficiency and the IT Infrastructure is chaotic. The last Consultant I saw could not access my records through his system, so I sat and logged onto Patient Knows Best on my IPad to show him my most recent test results.

There is no private business out there that could operate in this way without failing and that is what the NHS is doing. It is collapsing under its inefficiency and pouring more money into it will not resolve the infrastructure issues.

There needs to be honest discussions and very joined up thinking about how to resolve the efficiency issues !!

No

unless they take the drastic decision to reform the NHS

they won’t make the same mistake as the last Labour government who used high interest finds to seal over the cracks that were already there

Are they? Can you explain why?

I've never been impressed with Wes Streeting's understanding of how the NHS works. His 'solutions' are simplistic.

Labour councils are more at risk of bankruptcy because they have been more negatively impact ed by central government (Tory) cuts and lots of Tory councils are crumbling!! https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/council-cuts-austerity-tories-bankrupt-youth-services-sure-start-school-nurses/

That is because the Tory government have systematically crippled councils through years of overfunding. Tory councils are struggling too.

Of course he does. Reform’s badly needed and the Tories’ scorched earth policy has left no money to invest, at least initially. It was a combination of reform and investment that brought about improvement last time round.

Yes, Starmer ran a government department. I do believe that Labour will focus on delivery. That's a step up from this incompetent shower.

No, unfortunately. Given the number of Labour run city councils facing bankruptcy, I do not think Labour have a better handle on finances than the current sorry lot. I think unless we have a complete readjustment to government, as a country we are totally shafted.

I believe that any Labour government will be left with a massive black hole In government spending like in previous decades.
The Tories will then reconfigure then attack the overspending in order to win power.

And no, I have never voted Labour or Tory in over four decades.

This 100%👏👏👏

Wes Streeting talks more about reform than investment.

No i think it will carry on declining.

I think so. The destruction of the NHS has, imo been ideological and deliberate.

Don’t be silly. The problem with the nhs is too many layers of management and not enough medics. Labour won’t sack anyone and they won’t go against the medical union’s wishes to keep medical school numbers suppressed.

it will get worse not better

Long time Tory voter here. I am probably going to vote Labour but I don't know what their plans actually are.

The NHS is an errant monster at the moment. Not sure how anyone is going to tackle it. Lots of poorly negotiated contracts by all previous governments.

I think it will improve, and they can't be any worse than the Tories.

The last Labour government improved the NHS beyond all recognition so I have high hopes of the next one. I like Streeting’s approach. I’ll never forgive Andrew Lansley for taking a sledgehammer to it when it was functioning so well - or Cameron for allowing him to do it.

@Pussycat22 people make those choices based on health inequalities.
Not as black and white as having choices sadly.

I think the Tories have done too much damage over too long to save it.
I don't know what the solution is, but like everything else, Labour are inheriting a complete shitshow.

The NHS would improve if people made better lifestyle choices and not expect the NHS to treat the outcomes of said choices.!!

Absolutely not.
Whichever government is in power can only provide so much funding to keep it running on a basic level.
No one wants to make the decision of what needs to be cut or privately paid for by the public.

I agree it's gone beyond the point where mere political tinkering will solve anything, especially with the institutional resistance to reform

For me the real conversation will be what takes the place of the current arrangements; trouble is it's such a hot potato that I doubt any current party has the will to do anything much

I think labour would put more money in the NHS and it would go on wage increases. Can't see any improvement in service

The NHS isn't recoverable. Our health care system needs a complete overhaul and cutting NI again will just accelerate the current system's demise.