Waiting for an ambulance

[BigcatLittlecat]

I called an ambulance for my elderly mother at 4.45. Got told it's a long wait and to not call back. She fell off her bed and think she has broken her hip. She's in a lot of pain. What can I do, apart from call 999 back?

Because you can't just rock up, give an injured person morphine and the bugger off again. They need proper medical support.

Interesting point @QuestionableMouse. My neighbour was given the max dose possible by the ambulance crew once triage because waits were long. She then sat in a crowded A&E without a staff member in sight and no inquiry whatsoever about her wellbeing. I think it foolish to imagine there is any care whatsoever from staff while people are waiting.

The UK now spends 12% GDP on the NHS; lower than France but with worse outcomes. Where's all the money going because it isn't being spent on the provision of acceptable standards of care?

The UK now spends 12% GDP on the NHS;

That should say on healthcare, so that 12% was partly due to the cost of covid testing and vaccines, and track and trace.

Hope your Mum is ok @BigcatLittlecat

The NHS is becoming the economy. and it has to be a part of it. A rather smaller and less venerated part IMVHO.

@XingMing how is it becoming the economy ? When you say you think it should be smaller, do you mean even less beds for the population size ? I think we have one of the smallest number of beds to population ratios as it is, when compared to the rest of Europe ?

No, definitely not @BirmaBrite. My point was that while good health across the population is vital, healthcare and the NHS is only a smallish part of the whole UK economy.

@BirmaBrite the UK needs far more people in well paying jobs, paying tax. And some of those jobs are still a gleam in someone's eye.. Rather than a gleam in the eye ofTesco's CEO who has realised that UC is going to fund his PT staff working 15 hours a week.

You raise a good point @XingMing , are employers, who are enjoying the benefits of lower wages due to UC, going to be happy paying towards all their employees health insurance as they do in France and Germany, if we went down the European model of healthcare provision ?

Probably not, but they damn well should be. However, food will cost more.

No. Tesco CEO is going to be weeping to shareholders (anyone with a pension) that staff costs are up. And thinking how they can push the cost back to the public purse.

Go shopping in Europe if you want to understand what food really costs. A routine weekly shop in France costs at least 20% more than in the UK.

I suppose their much cheaper fuel/energy bills will make up for that 20% ?

Was that 20% determined prior to the UK's hike in inflation and the massive increase in freight costs ?

Their cheaper energy deals are being heaped on top of borrowing that is already much higher than the UK. The cost is being added to their GDP.

Firstly, debt isn't "added to GDP"

France has limited energy costs to domestic and business to 4 and 14% on electricity and gas respectively (i believe that will change to 15% next year) means lower inflation as less need to pass on prices to consumers.

On borrowing, France has had to borrow very little extra (they nationalised EDF instead) yes their net debt to GDP is higher (105% to 96%) but the markets have much higher confidence in Frances ability to pay it back.

Once this crisis is over, France can sell back EDF, recouping its borrowing, our plan is just a waste of 150 billion.... hence why..... see below:

Gilt yields (france) are 2.78% compared to 4.3% for the UK, so their debt interest is far higher, this is why uk mortgage rates are over 6% 2yr fixed rate.

Why does all this matter on an NHS thread? inflation erodes the NHS financial settlement and erodes the pay rises too, so less incentive to move to the UK to work in healthcare and more incentive for staff to leave for the private sector.

No it doesn't, i ve spent 3 months in France & Spain recently and shopping is generally speaking on par with UK, subject to the exchange rate.

The % of UK pension funds invested in Tesco will be tiny, as opposed to Gilts, which is where the real hit has happened, just a few weeks ago, investors wouldn't touch any UK 30yr gilts, effectively worthless until the BoE stepped in.

Tesco will as they been doing already, as you say, they will just up prices and remove more offers, they made 2 billion last year and will post similar profits next year - UK food price inflation is almost 14% again France is 7.7%.

Show her condition worsens then call back on 999. Do NOT call 999 for an ETA you are wasting their time and taking the 999 call op away from potentially taking a life-threatening call.

I agree you need an ambulance but it's not life-threatening you just need to wait. While I get this is an old post I am sure others will read it.