Large part NHS is going to be privatised what can we do?AIBU to think it's too late.

[Hidingmyindentity]

I'm a HCP at a meeting this week our medical director said the medium term plan is to privatise all routine stuff, all planned surgery e.g. Hip/knee replacement if you want this kind of surgery you will have to pay for it or get health insurance. The NHS has no choice because it's loosing money in these areas. I had guessed this was on the cards but I was shocked it was now being said out loud.
ED, seeing a GP, all acute life threatening stuff in medicine and surgery will stay in the NHS, as will emergency paediatrics oncology midwifery emergency mental health all the rest we will have to fund some how.
Much of mental health is already been privatised as is much of the community care for children and adults with very complex needs, e.g. Virgin do lots this care.
TBH I don't know if we can stop it most of the unions except the BMA (and we know what happened to them when they spoke out about what's going on) are toothless and useless. I am unconvinced that we can do anything now the NHS has I fear reached a point of no return. Very few HCPs want this but no one is listening to us speak out and the press treat us like scum.

Routine gynae problems can result in infection and potentially sepsis.

They're already cutting back on joint replacements. I need replacements of various joints but I'm not allowed due to my young age. Seems fair..not! People used to get them done.

But you can work if for example you have stress incontinence. Or you might be retired so it won't matter.
If for example you have a hernia and you are in a manual job with lots of lifting and you can't fund a repair your case will go the primary care trust and they'll decide if they'll fund it.

help that's a chance they'll take sepsis is very rare if you have stress incontinence it's cheaper to take a chance, and just treat the few that get it than pay for surgery n all with stress incontinence.

They'll have to get a move on and legalise assisted suicide then. I wouldn't accept living with chronic, untreatable pain, constant infection and incontinence or being unable to walk due to a wrecked joint.

Most healthcare isn't urgent, but it does have a huge effect on quality of life, functionality and ability to work and manage your life.

Won't peoples untreated problems just build up to such an extent that it eventually becomes an emergency and they end up in A+E if they can't have elective surgery?

I don't think this should be derailed into making it a women's issue, it will disproportionately affect low income people and even middle income people.

People will unlikely end up in A&E for orthopaedic surgeries, they will just become disabled and depressed.

I think it's going to affect virtually everyone. Private treatment costs thousands and thousands and insurance isn't cheap either. The population are struggling to pay for housing and essentials as it is.

I had a hernia repaired fairly recently.

I completely sympathise help but there is no money left and it's going to get worse. If the NHS is going to carry on treating life threatening conditions oncology paediatrics or high risk areas then it has no choice but to stop treating non urgent stuff.
I don't want this nor do most HCPs but we have an ever increasing and very expensive ageing population and there's no money left.

Disabled and depressed people will end up not being able to work and will cost more in benefits then.

The govt will end up paying one way or another

It will affect everyone except the super rich.

I see plenty of resources going to people who don't need them and won't benefit from them

'There's no money left'

There is money. But the government would rather spend it on tax breaks for the rich than the NHS.

Common joint replacements e.g. knees cost around £10k, not sure if this includes physiotherapy follow up. This assumes no complications. Who has that sort of money just lying around?

No onthebus most people will just end with chronic problems that will never become urgent enough to be treated in ED.
ED will just be for genuine emergencies everything else will be turned away.

You actually seriously believe that there is no money left? You have allowed them to brainwash you into thinking that there is no money left? Moor fool you. Trust me, there is enough money in the pot it's just being redirected to the wrong places and they are deliberately starving it of money in order to allow people like you to think that it needs to be privatised as there isn't enough money.

help did you see I DavidBlake?
Benefits will be cut to the bare minimum.

Was your medical director saying it was actually happening, as in your Trust have agreed it as their future strategy or was he saying that's where he feels it is going in general? Would expect to see a Trust agreeing to a strategy like this front and centre in the press!

If it's definitely the future strategy of the Trust then wow.

I don't know why you're posting all this Hiding, don't you think we don't know this already? What do you want us to say? We don't have the power to change it and many of us are heading towards health problems now, so we have nothing to look forward to.

Having a ds, aged four, with a life long chronic neurological condition, this terrifies me. There is no way we could afford to pay for his treatment or the insurance to cover it. Pre existing conditions either make the premiums rocket up or render the person uninsurable

No benefits
No healthcare
No education

Yes, we know.

Just make us all in to soylent green right now

Sorry not made myself clear when I say there's no money left I mean the NHS has no money left my trust is millions over spent the Kings Fund prediction for how in debt the NHS is now and will be by 2020 is terrifying. Some are wondering if we'll be able to afford urgent health care!

Okay, so we'll just get sick and die then.

What do you suggest the population does about it?