How would you fix the NHS?

You surely know that not all private companies are publicly listed?

Down here, most community NHS services, Physio OT and MH are run by Livewell, former NHS staff work for them on exactly the same t&c's, but any patient would assume they are NHS, they even operate out of a nhs hospital....

Livewell operate similar services all over the country, with their own duplicate HR pay roll IT etc and of course board of directors.

Then there is Milbrook a private company who now provide access equipment to the NHS here, previously done in house.

Before this maintenance contract stuff, was there a small team based at each hospital by the NHS that did everything from changing lightbulbs, rehang doors, fix dripping taps etc. Only got outside people to fix lifts, machinery etc.

This contract malarkey isn’t just exclusive to NHS, other businesses do it to. My friend works for a supermarket and one of the soap dispensers fell off the wall in the female staff toilets. The dispenser was fixed by using mounting tape. Supermarket sold this for £3.50 a roll. Apparently it’s because the staff are uninsured for things like this. Yet fine to get knocked over by a shoplifter

What is NHS privatisation? What parts of the NHS have been sold?

I’m not aware that anyone can buy shares in the NHS. So how has public ownership changed?

So increase taxes on those who benefitted then, ie higher taxes on house price inflation they’ve benefitted from.

You can’t stop it because it’s part of the legal terms of the Pfi contracts, so the country is committed for decades.

Re older people having "benefited from the best times".

People aged over 85 were born before the NHS and the welfare state. One of DH's grandparents went to the dentist as soon as the NHS came in to get all his teeth taken out replaced by false teeth - because until the NHS he couldn't afford a dentist so his teeth were in a state. He knew lots of others who did the same.

Yes some were wealthy - like in any generation - but loads were in serious poverty. Many started life in pre-WW2 slums. Then they went through WW2. Bombings, rationing (which didn't fully end until the 50s). And the vast majority left school at 14 or 15 to start work (same for "boomers", and actually "Gen X").

As for benefiting from property boom. Some did, yes. Others didn't. Look up Rachman landlords.

And the Centre for Ageing Better's study last year
offers a clear rebuttal of the “wealthy baby boomer” narratives that have become so commonplace in public discourse, fueling intergenerational conflict and resentment towards our older population.

Although it is undeniable that there are wealthy older people, wealth inequality within older age groups is vastly greater than between older and younger age groups.

I would also look at ways to employ perm staff rather than bank staff.

Remove the 800 DEI managers to save £40 million. Stop the maintenance service approach giving ridiculous amounts to firms to provide maintenance services - you end up paying £50 to change a light bulb.

Stop selling or privatising parts of NHS
start recruiting doctors & nurses

Except they probably were forced because they probably had dementia.

Not everyone in their 80s has dementia.

Quite. That statement is bizarre. Does the pp know any old, sick people?

Yes I do.

How would you even start saving money if small incremental things, that could be done relatively easily (multiplied by hundreds or thousands of times) are not worth it , or saving £46m isn't worth it....at that point is it worth making changes?
Lots of people within the nhs are saying it's wasteful, if they can see it, why is that being ignored?

My Dad had treatment for cancer and was given dozens and dozens of boxes of anti sickness tablets. He didn't need them, ever. When he died we took them to the chemist to dispose of. That seems wasteful to me....

Reeves is far more Osbourne than McDonald.

I agree. Can we now look forward to countless Labour posters’ vehement, relentless condemnation of the budget and the government for its austere policy? The many hundreds of thousands who are being killed by the government’s ineffective and cruel economic measures etc etc?

I quite agree

There are people who dont live in the south east!

Zapped, thank goodness. I didn't see it, but going by the thread title it sounds repugnant.

Isnt it interesting that its against Talk Guidelines to slag off people on working age benefits but anyone above 65 is fair game!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5194141-to-think-that-most-people-on-benefits-should-be-forced-to-work-for-them?page=2&reply=139258783

They will be, stop being led astray by the right wing trolls...

Reeves is far more Osbourne than McDonald.

Why is the new workers bill going to force you overseas?

1p on income tax would raise 7.5bn, so 5p on basic rate would be required... not an option i'm afraid, i hope your business sense is better than your maths

If a person has worked for 35-40 years, started a small business, saved a bit, bought a house, and paid off the mortgage, i e done the sensible, responsible stuff, and hasn't endured a MN crisis, then it seems to me that they should be allowed to enjoy the rewards of their life's work in peace. Just now, the media frenzy over what's going to be in the budget about pensions and inheritance tax has everyone, including me, in a tizz.

There has been a property bubble, but mainly because savers with cash deposits got no return on any savings between 2008 and 2022, despite inflation. Anyone with a brain looked for alternatives to keeping their money in a savings account. So they bought small houses and let them to renters. Some were decent landlords, but not all.

The 'boom' you're talking about was only a thing in certain parts of the country. You're talking as if the whole generation was able to amass these 'large nest eggs' you talk about. That's not the case.

You also sound like you have a fair-sized chip on your shoulder.

The simplest fairest way to £35Bn in raised revenue would have been to add a penny on income tax from 12,570. But having sworn not to do so, the Chancellor has to pluck money from elsewhere, in ways that are going to distort the economy and send people like us overseas. Small business owners are going to disappear fast looking at the way this government seems to want to impose new work rules. By the time you've done all the compliances, there's no profit left, so why would you continue trading?

@ruethewhirl

If you're going to pretend that there hasn't been a property boom that has benefitted a certain generation then it's not worth talking about it to be honest.

When was that, then?

@ruethewhirl those who took advantage of low property prices and now have large nest eggs?