Page 3 | What a car crash interview that was for Rishi

Antst · 08/01/2023 16:55

@VladmirsPoutine, thank you. Said it better than I did.

DomesticShortHair · 08/01/2023 17:01

DuchessOfPort · 08/01/2023 12:20

I am very grateful to people who use private healthcare if they can afford it and don’t clog up the NHS because it’s free.

No idea why he didn’t say that he has insurance for his family. No one would expect him to have the taxpayer fund his medical care. The more people who are able to afford move away from the NHS for their care, the better as it will reduce the burden on the service.

Then you’re going to really dislike me. I have private healthcare provision through work, but I won’t use it. The NHS isn’t free, I contribute towards it through taxation, so don’t feel remotely guilty for using it instead.

Suedomin · 08/01/2023 17:01

The more people who are able to afford move away from the NHS for their care, the better as it will reduce the burden on the service.
This is a false argument the more the NHS becomes a service just for people who can't afford private the less money it will get and the less people in power will want to support it or be prepared to fully resource it.
The whole philosophy of the NHS is that it is available to all
Also teh NHS deals with all emergencies even for those with private health care and often has to deal with the more complex problems that private hospitals can't

CoffeeBoy · 08/01/2023 17:06

Of course he has private healthcare.

and of course it should be in the public interest to know that. He is so full of shit.

nhs is so fucked the person in charge of the country won’t use it. I’d say that’s mega public interest. Tories are all cunts.

CoffeeBoy · 08/01/2023 17:12

DuchessOfPort · 08/01/2023 12:20

I am very grateful to people who use private healthcare if they can afford it and don’t clog up the NHS because it’s free.

No idea why he didn’t say that he has insurance for his family. No one would expect him to have the taxpayer fund his medical care. The more people who are able to afford move away from the NHS for their care, the better as it will reduce the burden on the service.

Sometimes that may be true, if you live near a fully private hospital.

but near me (northernish) private appointments are with consultants who do a mix of private and nhs work. So they have less nhs clinic availability due to running private clinics.

Ditto private operations, they may be done in the local BMI hospital but the consultant works in the nhs 3 or 4 days a week, so does the anaesthetist.

if they weren’t doing private surgery there would be more nhs operation slots. 🤷‍♀️ Certainly for day surgery which isn’t restricted by the need for a bed afterwards.

Original poster

KenAdams · 08/01/2023 17:34

Suedomin · 08/01/2023 17:01

The more people who are able to afford move away from the NHS for their care, the better as it will reduce the burden on the service.
This is a false argument the more the NHS becomes a service just for people who can't afford private the less money it will get and the less people in power will want to support it or be prepared to fully resource it.
The whole philosophy of the NHS is that it is available to all
Also teh NHS deals with all emergencies even for those with private health care and often has to deal with the more complex problems that private hospitals can't

I think the issue at the moment is that it isn't available to all, it's available to hardly anyone in fact.

I use private for tests and consultant appointments but now my issues have become multidisciplinary, the private hospital won't see me so it's back to the NHS. I tried to not take up their resource for as long as possible but I'm at the limit of what private healthcare can do for me.

OP posts:

willthatbeall · 08/01/2023 17:35

The ignorance about private health care insurance on this thread is astounding.

Atethehalloweenchocs · 08/01/2023 18:18

Echo what the PP has said - there is so much ignorance of what private health care will mean. I trained in health care in the US, and worked there for 12 years before I moved back to the UK. I was so happy to work for the NHS, having seem the way people get fucked by the system over there. Most people have to have insurance through their work. Most insurance wont cover pre existing conditions - so you can be stuck in a job you hate because your health wont be covered if you change. And employers take complete advantage of this. Getting work can be dependent on the medical you have to take. Prices for services and drugs are some of the highest in the world because there is no bargaining leverage with the pharmaceutical companies. Oh, and insurance companies are in the business of not paying out - that is literally the job of their agents, to find ways not to pay you. So even if you have insurance they may refuse to pay for something you need. The policies are so complicated, you may find a caveat that excludes your condition. And insurance companies make life miserable for clinicians - I would be on my way to assess someone who had tried to kill themselves and have a call from some clerk saying the person did not need to be there. Before the professional had done an assessment. It is so bad in some specialities most doctors will only work for people who pay them directly because they dont want to deal with insurance companies. We should all be terrified.

luckylavender · 08/01/2023 18:33

KenAdams · 08/01/2023 12:08

Did anyone watch the Laura K interview this morning? I've tried to see the good side of Rishi (first British Asian PM and all that) but I just can't anymore. I fully understand now why people think he's out of touch.

He obviously uses private healthcare, so why not just own up to it?

No proper targets our deadlines for his bloody five point plan he keeps banging on about and a complete failure to acknowledge the gravity of the situation with the NHS.

Not usually a fan of Laura either but it's the first decent interview I've seen with Rishi actually being properly challenged.

I actually don't care about his private healthcare. He can afford it & it would be better for him to see a GP at his convenience. But the rest, I want to shake him. That obfuscation about the nurses pay round when he was pretending the door was always open 🤬

OneFrenchEgg · 08/01/2023 18:43

If he can't even be confident about his choice to use private medical care, what hope? Does he think it's shameful and not justified - great, we have someone with no morals as PM. Does he think it's justified but can't find the argument? Great, we have someone shit at communication and debate as PM.

LexMitior · 08/01/2023 18:50

He has no political nous. None. He will always be behind public opinion. I wonder why he wanted to be PM. He seems unsuited to that kind of role, but will make a good beancounter.

PeppermintChoc · 08/01/2023 19:01

DomesticShortHair · 08/01/2023 17:01

Then you’re going to really dislike me. I have private healthcare provision through work, but I won’t use it. The NHS isn’t free, I contribute towards it through taxation, so don’t feel remotely guilty for using it instead.

Show quote history

You’d rather suffer for longer than use a benefit you’re paying for? You’ll be paying tax on that too. Cutting your nose off to spite your face!

LadyKenya · 08/01/2023 19:05

I think that he comes across as weak, and totally lacking in gravitas. Like the rest of the Tories, he seems to think that the public lacks intelligence, and that we all have short memories. I think that it is pathetic his dancing around the question regarding private healthcare. What on earth does he think will happen if he admitted he has private healthcare. Does he really think that the public are so stupid? shameless man.

DuchessOfPort · 08/01/2023 19:13

@DomesticShortHair - I don’t dislike you for it but why do you not use your private healthcare? is it a pain admin wise?

since everyone pays for the NHS through NI, everyone has the right to use it, I’m just glad that not everyone who has squillions and is rich enough to go private - and in Rishi’s case, he can just pay straight.

My neighbour couldn’t get his hip replaced in less than 20 months but couldn’t work til it was done, so took out a loan of £13,000 (ish - can’t remember exact figure) to go private. I would hope that if the likes of Rishi needed a hip replacement they would not clog up the list for people like my neighbour because it’s “free”.

on the other hand, my aunt had paramedics reviving her within 8 minutes a week before Christmas. She does have private healthcare but it was the NHS that brought her back to life. Her NI wasn’t wasted!

Whattaboutit · 08/01/2023 19:17

Going private does not free up space for NHS patients. It’s the same doctors doing both. Waiting lists will just get longer as private care takes up far more time per patient than NHS.

DuchessOfPort · 08/01/2023 19:22

Ok - so until the NHS gets more funding, shakes off Covid and is sorted, what can we do? Other than not get ill? Any government, including the next likely Labour one will take years to sort it so what’s the best solution? I want the NHS to stay. I would pay £10 for a GP appt for example.

SerendipityJane · 08/01/2023 19:22

According to the Express he smashed it.

BoadiceaOverall · 09/01/2023 14:37

DuchessOfPort · 08/01/2023 12:20

I am very grateful to people who use private healthcare if they can afford it and don’t clog up the NHS because it’s free.

No idea why he didn’t say that he has insurance for his family. No one would expect him to have the taxpayer fund his medical care. The more people who are able to afford move away from the NHS for their care, the better as it will reduce the burden on the service.

The NHS is not free.

Fladdermus · 09/01/2023 15:06

David Lammy on LBC was talking about how NHS hospitals are now offering people on their waiting lists the option of paying for their treatment and thus jumping the queue. That is absolutely disgusting.