What Government expenditure would you cut do you think?

[Wafflefudge]

Having seen quite a few posts recently which seem to be focused on disability spending being unaffordable and needing to be cut it has prompted me to think about what could actually be cut without causing issues/ knock ons that would be more costly long term.
I think perhaps for people who aren't disabled or with disabled children they see this as an easy cut. But we can of course all think of cuts that wouldn't directly or immediately affect us.
I personally dont think any cuts are particularly easy or straightforward though.
Off the top of my head I'd maybe cut libraries as they've put such short hours in place that they are barely useable anyway. Or perhaps maximise making money from them. But recognise this would be a drop in the ocean of public expenditure.
Id be interested in others opinions on where cuts might work. I'm sure answers will vary considerably depending on personal circumstances

I’d stop treating type 2 diabetes. It’s reversible.

At work we spend a huge amount treating people who really don’t give a shiny one if they die of diabetes, you non hcp really would not believe what goes on.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Dm had a cardiology apt al& she still hasn't seen the Dr yet even though it's been booked and rebooked several times.

The first time, the clinic cancelled it on the day of apt & didn't tell her beforehand. So she wasted a trip to the hospital plus paid for parking etc.

The second time, the Dr was ill so clinic was cancelled and they called DM just as she was leaving her house. So no wasted trip and they rebooked for the following month.

The third time, there was no trace of the rebooked appointment on the system so another wasted trip.

Dm is now waiting for her cardiology apt, we're hoping she's fourth time lucky. This is an example of an inefficient system.

Proper help and support rather than NHS staff glibly reeling off the same old spiel would help people eat more healthily. Must be huge numbers of "wasted" appointments because NHS staff aren't giving relevant advice and support.

I've got T2 and learned far more about it and am controlling it better due to being on a few Facebook groups. Diabetic specialist nurses and NHS dieticians just peddled the same old "eat fewer mangoes" and "eat more lentils" crap - it may be right, but it's completely impractical and irrelevant - I've never eaten a mango in my life! The Facebook groups actually make sensible suggestions about "healthier" alternatives to more practical foods that are relatively cheap and convenient so more likely to be useful.

My OH is another case. He has cancer and needs a monthly package of drugs for the rest of his life, including two chemotherapy drugs. The oncology dept foul up his appointments and prescription every sodding month. The blood test has to be a specific number of days before he starts the monthly drug regime - too early and they won't issue the prescription, too late and start date will be missed. How hard can it be? Well, apparently it's virtually impossible, because they can't even work out the start date - it's 28 days after the last start date - not difficult, but they simply can't get it right. Even when they get it right, they can't work backwards to work out the date needed for the blood test. Sometimes they book it a few days too early, sometimes a few days too late, sometimes they don't book it at all. Even after all that, on the start date, at the appointment made for collecting the drugs, at least half the time, the drugs havn't been ready.

So even for something as important as chemotherapy blood tests and drugs, they can't organise it properly. My OH has to make probably 5-10 phone calls every single month to either organise it all himself, or to change dates he's been sent that are clearly wrong. Once they even sent a blood test appointment for the day after he should have started the chemotherapy!

I know for a fact, he's "missed" several oncology appointments he didn't even know he had because he'd not received the letters, etc.

It's not until you become "heavily" involved with the NHS in respect of regular appointments and long term chronic diseases that you realise just how crap it all is. People who have limited dealings will no doubt think that a "lost" appointment letter is rare or that turning up for an appointment per letter on a date/time when there is no clinic is extreme - but in reality, it's pretty normal.

@Alongthepineconetrail

The third time, there was no trace of the rebooked appointment on the system so another wasted trip.

My OH's "best" was an appointment in a specialist stem cell transplant hospital in a different city two hours away. Appointment was to see the specialist AND the stem cell transplant co-ordinator for a tour of the ward facilities and to go through the detail of the procedure (very long, complicated, involving a lot of time in hospital). The appointment with the consultant was to discuss the "top level" of the transplant. Appointment time was 9.30. We left home at 7. Got there on time, and waited, and waited. Others were coming and going, but we still waited and waited. OH went to reception a few times to ask how much long and was just fobbed off with the usual "they're busy and will get to you".

Got to lunchtime, empty waiting room and we were still there. Found one of the HCAs in the corridor who'd been taking people through, only to be told consultant had gone for his lunch and we'd be first on the afternoon list. Nice of them to bother telling us!!

When we finally saw him, not only did he not have any details - just an empty file with a one paragraph referral letter, no test results, nothing really. But the killer blow was that the transplant co ordinator wasn't there - she never worked on Wednesdays!!

So a complete waste of an entire day for us. No explanation nor apology as to how they made an appointment with someone who never worked on that day of the week!

Foreign aid
UC payments need an overhaul
DLA also

Not sure your issues with water privatisation. It was heavily regulated. The issue is that a huge amount of investment has been required.

The fact MPs expenses and salaries are the most popular saving on here says it all about the level of public understanding in this country. The government spends over £1 trillion a year- cutting a few million in MPa’ funding would not touch the sides.

For me there needs to be a sensible discussion about the future of healthcare. It’s clear imo that the current NHS system is simply not sustainable. It has a budget of £200 billion and yet we are constantly told it is underfunded.

I would start by scrapping IVF on the NHS. There is a limit to what can be spent on helping people already living so I’m not sure public funding should be going to enable what is effectively a lifestyle choice.

Needless surgery is another one. I know someone who had her ears pinned back on the NHS, this was 15 years ago though.

Stop prescribing paracetamol and other over the counter medicines too, unless in extreme circumstances where the patient can’t afford them.

Maybe introducing a system where the patient can purchase the over the counter medications and the surgery could refund them the difference from a petty cash system? I’d imagine that would save an awful lot of money!

When paracetamol is prescribed, it's often because a stronger dose is needed or if someone needs to buy more tables than is usually allowed.

Cut the cost of housing asylum seekers by letting them work.

Cut pension relief to top-rate tax payers.

Cut the cost of unemployed people getting more hours of work by decreasing the taper rate.

Get rid of nuclear weapons.

Increase the minimum wage to reduce the subsidy to badly paying employers.

Get rid of nuclear weapons.

Invite China, Russia, Iran and any other countries to do whatever they want, whenever they want to?
No thanks, security is important.

You'll have to explain why rail, water and the numerous privatisations in the NHS aren't working?
Or the privatisation of council services, like road mtce.

If privatisations need huge amounts of regulation (which is very expensive in itself) then how is it cheaper? its also not a genuine privatisation either.

@Badbadbunny SpecSavers works because they are in genuine competition with many other providers and have products from different manufacturers, there is also no legacy infrastructure involved.

This is the same with Telecoms, though its not really a truly privatised market as Openreach provide in most cases all the back office infrastructure, often at rigged conditions to make it possible for competitors, BT were also forced to split the network, thats not a free market and then there is OfCom who allow v large price rises for no reason, so almost all ISPs will hike prices by 10% each year, so long as they state what the increase will be.

Can you imagine Tesco saying Milk will rise by 10% regardless of market conditions and you have to commit to buying only Tesco milk for 2 years?

Because nuclear weapons are oh so safe😆

I would not want to cut funds to libraries or get rid of any more. Although I myself rarely venture in, I can see how useful they are for people. Lots of pupils do their homework there. Very useful for children living in chaotic noisy households I reckon, oldies coming in out of the cold, anyone wanting to use a computer, mums of little ones who go there for story time etc etc. I would imagine some are quite isolated even in big cities, and of course the elderly or confused who need help with various things.

I agree with charging those who don't turn up for an appointment at the GP/hospital but how you would enforce it I dunno.

I also cannot say hand on heart to cut the military. I don't want Putin taking over!!

I am afraid I am hopeless at this, thank you lucky stars I am not in charge of what gets funding and what does not!

Stop prescribing paracetamol and other over the counter medicines too, unless in extreme circumstances where the patient can’t afford them.

See NHS England

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1a-over-the-counter-leaflet-v1.pdf

GPs are generally not allowed to prescribe drugs available over the counter, with some exceptions.

Get rid of free prescriptions for those over 60, use funds saved to lower charges for all.

Wait for the Howls of indignation!!!

There was a consultation on that:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-prescription-age-frozen-at-60

The government concluded if people went without prescriptions, it would cost the NHS more in the long run, given people are living longer with multiple complex conditions; and the COL crisis.

Often government policies have a dual purpose like free bus passes for people over 60, to encourage unsafe elderly drivers to give up driving - more crashes do not benefit the population.

@nearlyemptynes my marriage broke down under completely unforeseen and devastating circumstances. I now have to claim universal credit to top up my earnings as my children still need to be fed and housed. I'm hoping to save enough to take my DS on a short holiday in 3 years time after his GCSEs. He's a good lad, works hard and didn't deserve what happened to us. Do you seriously begrudge him a treat of a lifetime while millionaires are fleecing us left right and centre? If anything I'd make life better for people on universal credit and cut some fat from those at the very top such as the politicians, landlords and others who are ripping us all off.

I'd look at in work benefits, it's ridiculous that we effectively fund large corporations to underpay their staff by topping up low wages, subsidising zero hour contracts etc. People working in a full time job should be able to afford to live without government help.

How would you differentiate between Tesco or British Gas and a small window fitters in Cornwall who simply cannot survive if they had to pay much higher wages?

Even if they could, they'd just pass on the wage rises to the consumer, negating the wage rises.

We could look at why the supermarket & banking sectors have made such huge profits since covid and Ukraine?
At least with energy there has been windfall taxes.