Thread 30 Starmer - Magic Roundabouts

[DuncinToffee]

Pull up a chair for some friendly chit chat about politics and beyond

Taxes optional but greatly appreciated.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5395939-thread-29-starmer-paint-your-bandwagon?page=1

Gorgeous.

I think one of the grimmest things about the US was speaking to a friend who was a lawyer. He was well off. His daughter had had a need for longstanding psychological treatment in a hospital. The cost nearly bankrupted him.

The NHS has its problems but I have to say overall it has been fantastic for my family. One of my children has needed long term care for a few years now and I am enormously grateful for their skill and professionalism.

Isnt it!

Yep, my parent has spent a lot of this year in hospital receiving treatment and we have been so impressed at how they have been looked after. Not faultless but certainly the staff involved have been incredible.

Yes, my father who needs treatment WMD goes to Moorefields. That is one of the best eye hospitals in Europe. And it is free at the point of use.

Friends DH got it from their little girl. One spot got infected and it was touch and go whether he would lose his leg. He was in ICU for 3 weeks and it was nearly 6 months before he could return to work and even then it was a phased return.

My lovely 90 year old friend died of cancer recently. He was so brilliantly looked after and died at home, which is what he wanted.

There's some evidence that it delays/slows Alzheimer's as well.

Yes, they see everything in US in terms of what your level of insurance will and won't cover. When BIL had his leg amputated the shenanigans was ridiculous and really troubling.

My DM's insurance came form working for George Soros. True fact! But it runs out soon and she'll be put on Medicaid. Until people have seen the clear penny pinching that goes on in US care for your average person they shouldn't really bemoan the NHS. I think the issue here is that the private care people see are private hospitals which are far nicer than normal US ones.

Just came across this on FB:

90 school shootings in the US in 2025 resulting in 29 deaths and 69 injuries.
For comparison, the listeria outbreak in June, 2025, killed 3 with 16 hospitalisations and there was a nationwide recall of fettuccine alfredo.
Make this make sense please.

I mean , obviously, I know the answers - cheaper, easier to implement and enforce and not political. But also - NRA presumably don't want food poisoning.

Biwi sincere condolences for the loss of your brother 💐
I had the first jab for shingles in the summer due the second in December very grateful for being able to have it, both my children had chicken pox & were extremely unwell dd was only five months old it’s was awful.
yy how blinking amazing the NHS can be had an appointment with GP yesterday (appointment within 48hrs) put on the two week pathway for further investigation (have a small lesion on my nose) Dh had treatment a couple months ago for pre cancerous polyps all done n dusted within two weeks the whole team were absolutely fantastic.

Communication between departments in the NHS and their bizarre lack of computerisation are issues, however!

I also remain surprised that something I had done privately, via the NHS, has never appeared on my GP records!

I wonder if Clav has been giving classes ?

Yes, our NHS may struggle at times but we are extremely lucky to have it and the choice to go private should we wish to.

The NHS were brilliant with my mum when she had cancer and were and continue to be for my dad and his. I have been very lucky to see a neurologist for my cluster headaches, the GP surgery booked in my fortnightly ECGs due to the medication in one hit and I’ve got a check up in January with neuro.

DS has seen all sorts of consultants and specialist consultants and now he has a consultant under rehabilitation medicine and has been given splints. Wheelchair, referral to neurophysio, referral to OT and to social services adult care for housing assessment.

Ok, sometimes you wait. But it’s all free (we did pay £140 for his wheelchair to be purple!)
every year within days of seeing his consultant he has the following years appointment through the post.

Im also grateful for pre pay prescription certificates which has saved me a fortune this year and even when I needed to use pharmacy first for an ear infection my prescription was included.

You must all be tired of me banging on about the government comms but if you’re not sick of hearing about it, the latest episode of The News Agents is very interesting. It’s like they’ve been reading my posts!

Maybe you should be their comms person after all 😂

If I was 20 years younger … That’s one of the things they said - what’s really needed is a team of 20 something politically savvy social media experts to deluge all the platforms. It’s great advice, I can only hope someone in a position to do something about it is listening.

It is insanely Byzantine ime. And it is where the NHS falls down. If you have more than one thing that is a problem then really, there’s no effective care coordination.

Also A&E is a bearpit. That needs addressing, particularly in high population areas. In London, the demand is horrific.

No, I think you are right. Governments without their own narratives end up following narratives set by others, in this instance Reform. The Conservatives currently can’t set a jelly so no risks there

Thank you @dontcallmelen

They need to speak to Gavin Newsome's team and get some lessons.

I have watched The Resident end to end and if even half of it is accurate - OMG. And they still have so many health outcomes far worse than ours.

I am not wedded to the NHS at all costs, but the US model is to be avoided like the plague.

Yes. That is exactly it and the reason Labour is flip flopping and u turning all over the shop. Lack of a clear narrative.

It is so frustrating.

I watched The Resident too. It should be required viewing for anyone who thinks changing the NHS funding model is the answer. Even Jeremy Hunt says it would be catastrophic.

If only the narrative were the issue.

Nothing to do with the material substance of policy then….

Rightio.