How would you fix the NHS?

When do you consider these 'best times' to have been, out of interest?

It cost 137 b to clean up sellafield. And the annual budget for the nhs is 164bn.

Plunge millions of people into poverty to support those who have taken advantage of the best times, sounds ideal

If you want to raise income tax to 80s/90s levels, then you need to reduce VAT, employers NIC, remove all the other new indirect taxes, etc.

Income tax isn't the only game in town. Yes, it's been reduced over the years but it's smoke and mirrors because other taxes have increased and we've several entirely new taxes that previously didn't exist.

We're really not a "low tax" country despite what some people think. When you factor in ALL the taxes, we're actually a pretty highly taxed country.

Raise income tax across the board to the level it used to be at when the system was working:so 30 pence in the pound basic. (That was before the politics of self interest and greed took-hold in the 1980s for those who are too young to remember). Also raise taxes for those on middle to high incomes.

Our health is the most important thing we have. And the NHS is the most important asset we have as a nation. Most of the stuff we spend our disposable incomes on are less important and we could do without it to fund this.

Unpopular opinion, I know, but I'm a realist.

Yes but the obesity leads to multiple other diseases and cormorbidies which takes up a significant part of the remaining budget. Speaking as a healthcare professional.

@Gingernaut the numbers come up on the app.

The NHS is in no fit state to cater to the health anxious.

The problem with that are the health anxious

They'll want to know numbers, the texts of any reports and if they're still symptomatic, they'll want to know what's next.

ETA: They don't feel normal, they have symptoms and a quick update on the app will only fuel their anxiety

@TigerRag it's ridiculous! Just put a short note on the app

"Results reviewed by Dr X, nothing of concern, all within normal range". Takes two seconds

I had a booked appointment to discuss blood test results. They were clear. 3 weeks of worry and a wasted gp appointment for nothing.

Sadly they're useless and cost more in the long run.

Employing practitioners as cheaper than GPs

Here's another one.

My dad had an appointment booked (15 minutes!) to discuss the results of a recent scan.

The result? The scan was clear. Surely it's easier and more cost effective to send that by text or even put it on the NHS app? It's like when my smear was clear and I got a message on the app, a letter and a telephone call. One of the three would've sufficed!

The BMA is now crying out for more GP/training posts. Let's hope Wes listens.

But no point training more medical students if we don't have jobs for them at the end. 1,000 came out of Uni this year with no immediate job to go to. Many are now on basic hour contracts and don't know where they'll be next year. After 5-6 years of hard work you're told there's no job for you here.

Ah yes "Blame Labour/Blair" GPs were leaving the NHS, as they would do in droves if some of the more crazy ideas like making them work 60/70hours over 5 days, which what they would be doing if they went FT... a GPs job doesn't stop when he/she sees there last patient at 6pm.

So suddenly its a unions fault as well? funny that the Tories over the last 14 years never ever take any notice of any union, let alone the BMA.... the BMA don't make policy and if the Govt as advised in 2015, wanted more GPs they could have gone and at least tried to get them... but they didn't just as they didn't get more nurses etc etc

No, GP numbers have fallen because its simply not possible to get them the placement training they need and med students don't want to go into work where they will abused and spoken to like shit by the public plus made to work long hours....

You ve taken that amount completely out of context as well you know.

Saving 46m isn't going to fix the NHS, that was the point i was making.

Of course every little helps but the NHS according to independent analysis, is one of the most efficient in the western world.

It seems one of the key pathways to reform is to remove the power from the BMA.

It's a long standing problem. Blair agreed the new GP contract to "cure the GP shortage" by letting them work fewer hours, opt out of anti social hours, etc., which sounded great in theory. What no one provided for was that if GPs, on average, moved to part time from full time, then you'd need twice as many of them being trained up. That didn't happen. In fact the BMA voted against increasing the number of training places and voted against new medical schools being opened. That's why we now have more GPs, but there's still a shortage because so many are working so few hours, whereas prior to Blair, GPs (wrongly) were typically working 5/6 days per week and out of hours call outs too! As with lots of things, the pendulum swung too far the other way and the absolutely foreseeable "unforeseeable" consequences weren't provided for!

There is no point in doing scans for those whose health is beyond treatment.

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

It depends. I've heard from (and heard of) people in their 80s being urged to give up certain habits (unhealthy ones, OK) and change their diets when those things are there main pleasures and frankly - giving them up isn't going to have a huge effect at that advanced age.

I was glad when one doctor said to my mum 'You don't need to worry about long-term side-effects at your age!' It was said kindly and my mum was cheered up by it, not upset. That's what I mean - it's just common sense not to treat an near-90 year old patient as you would a 35 year old.

I don't think it's always understood just how horrible constant hospital visits and treatment are for us all - but especially elderly people. Oh - and my mum suffered some awful mis-treatment from health staff in her last weeks, some of it most definitely bullying. I know she longed just to be allowed to go home and get away from them all. I don't know if I agree with another pp that 'no-one was forcing them to have it'. Hmmm. That poster needs to put themselves in the position of a very weak, tired and elderly patient. They sometimes haven't the energy to question or to resist what is being done to them.

And don't suggest I should have intervened. The ridiculous application of the 'ooh we can't discuss that with you - your'e not the patient' was really unhelpful.

If they had been sent for all the tests for things involving their symptoms at the same time then it would have come back within a couple of weeks exactly what they had wrong with them and they could have all been treated with prescriptions/outpatients or at worse 1 or 2 days in hospital. Instead by the time they were tested for their illness
The NHS can't win! If they don't do every tests in one go, they are wasting the costs of further appts and tests.

If they do all, posters will come and say they were sent to do 10 tests when they only had one issue and it was a complete waste of money to do all 10.

Ah the benefit of insight anonymous posters seem to have!

I think GPs should be allowed to work two or three days a week only just the same as anyone else. What practices need is enough GPs to cover the number of patients and appointments, whether you've got 5 working full time or 10 working half the hours. Personally I'd rather see a doctor who is not overstretched and exhausted, but well-rested and fully switched on.

It shouldn’t take 6 months for a continence assessment… or if it does, at least have the care and concern to find out how often incontinence episodes occur, and provide incontinence pads while they are waiting, the very least the NHS should do.

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to send the questionnaire to the patient to fill in than to wait 6 months or more for paid assessors to pop round to fill it in?

That could apply to many conditions I think.

At least the pressure to reach the toilet at all costs to dignity, life and limb (and the orthopaedic ward etc) will be lessened.

Re
I agree - and I've lost many lovely elderly relatives and friends. Many hated the near-torture of constant hospital visits, scans, investigations, treatments etc etc and just wanted to be left in peace! Some said 'You've got to go some time!' and others 'I just want to be left in peace'.

If they hated it, nobody was forcing them to have it. They didn't have to go for hospital visits or have the scans and treatment etc. Others do want the care they're entitled to and deserve - and have benefited from the improved quality of life and cherished extra time with loved ones it's afforded them.

Except they probably were forced because they probably had dementia.