Has the pandemic made you think about your NHS impact?

[reducingfootprint]

Aside from having children, i rarely have doctors appointments. I am the lower end of healthy weight, good blood pressure etc and think overall i must have a low impact on the NHS. I dont smoke, dont drink often but rarely exercise and probably have too much sugar
With covid devastating the NHS has it made you want to change your ways, like stop smoking and lose weight, to decrease your impact on the NHS?
So AIBU to think you should really complain about the stress if the NHS if you have an unhealthy lifestyle?

That seems quite simplistic at best, there are many reasons that people need to use the NHS and although some people's health issues are lifestyle related, a huge amount are not.

My own health has deteriorated massively in the last 5 years despite always being a heathy weight, good blood pressure and not drinking/smoking etc. I am very grateful for what services I can access.

No. Simply because all these decisions should be done for yourself and not to "save the healthcare system".

I’ve minimised my use of the nhs and tried to avoid it for years. I had a private birth for my child along with all antenatal care private, our family have private health cover and we pay to see a private GP. I’m not sure what else I can do.

My hostility to all the control measures and the coercive atmosphere around vaccination certification has made me especially want to avoid all cancer screening & flu vaccines.

I'm trying to convince myself that it's great there will be some kind of effective treatment if I have a terrible accident or cancer (etc), and I should be very grateful for that. I don't want to have any NHS treatment contact otherwise. I feel suffocated not protected right now.

That's nice. Leave the NHS for us poor people!

Except... it doesn't work that way, does it?

Who trains your private doctors?

Who shares their expertise, facilities?

Who picks up the pieces when private health care goes wrong?

And a while host of other issues. Private health care in the UK is not independent of the NHS.

No.

3 of us wear glasses, 1 of us has a rare blood disorder that needs continuous monitoring and medication, I've needed 2 c sections and 1 of is Autistic and needs mental health intervention.

None of that can be helped in any way. We don't abuse the system but certainly don't feel guilty when we need it.

I'm chronically ill and I'm currently having a high risk pregnancy. Not a whole lot I can do about using the nhs. Havent used it a whole lot for years but since pregnant I've had to use it a fair bit but that's what its there for.

You sound terribly smug, OP.

I have had massive input from the NHS regularly since I was 13 years old due to mental health issues. I'm now 30 and still under a mental health team. Sorry for my "impact" 🙄 if only a suicide attempt had been successful I'd be less of a nuisance.

Your health, and therefore your impact, can change in an instant, regardless of what lifestyle changes you implement.

Yes and it's for selfish and unselfish reasons.
I'm currently on the way to a much healthier weight.
I'm looking forward to my next NHS healthcheck when they restart so I can take action on any looming problems.
I want to maximise my chances of staying in good health, free up care for others who need it, and not have to rely on a shaky health system.

You do realise not every overweight person is a burden on the NHS? Some although overweight don't have this extra health problems.

I think you're being a bit smug and just take a step down from your pedestal.

Jolly well done you OP. Shine up your Blue Peter badge.

I believe in personal responsibility for health where possible (“lifestyle”) but I don’t pray to the god NHS. I think deifying the health service is really problematic, and to some extent stops rationale conversation about it.

Not much choice if you’ve got a life long chronic illness that needs monitoring and care...

@EssentialHummus

I believe in personal responsibility for health where possible (“lifestyle”) but I don’t pray to the god NHS. I think deifying the health service is really problematic, and to some extent stops rationale conversation about it.

Amen

I’ve paid for the NHS through tax for many a long year.

It’s not something that’s charity: it’s supposed to help me if I need it.

Time for the NHS to protect us, not the other way around.

To be scrupulously fair, it's about time a government put our money where it's mouth is!

How far would you go op? Stop people taking part in contact sports/horse and bike riding/trampolining etc. refuse to treat people who drive vehicles? All carry an increased risk of injury.

You've made the issue too simplistic. We are a family that only ever uses the NHS system in an emergency but we are fortunate to have good health. We are all in healthy BMI we don't smoke and I rarely drink. We exercise and pretty much do what is expected but we are very clear it is because we are fortunate. Not well behaved , simply lucky.

People overeat , smoke and drink for a myriad of reasons (hah not least sometimes because of societal pressure causing an uptick in some mental health responses , also self medication sometimes because people have not been able to seek help).

The very small minority who do use it as their own personal 1 to 1 service then yes , one would hope they realise the preciousness of a system they have taken for granted. Those who are entitled and unpleasant but in reality they are extremely few.

The majority of people do not wish to be ill , its incredibly hard to quit smoking and eating healthily is a mental health minefield for many many people.

Ultimately you have attempted to boil down an extremely complex issue into a paragraph of soundbites. To critically analyse this issue would take years. There ar enough easy answers.

@CornishGem1975

Your health, and therefore your impact, can change in an instant, regardless of what lifestyle changes you implement.

This. Plus people can have terrible health and disabilities from birth.

This thread will not go well and I'll be surprised if it stays up for long considering how ableist the tone of the OP is.

Someone in my family has been diagnosed with breast cancer (probably partially hereditary) despite being the absolute epitome of good health in terms of lifestyle and never 'impacting' the NHS in the past 40 years (ie not needing a doctor).

Also, I think OP has mis-typed her AIBU: "So AIBU to think you should really complain about the stress if the NHS if you have an unhealthy lifestyle?"

Wow think you are getting a hard time op.
Yes some illnesses are totally unrelated to lifestyle and you can’t help if you are ill.
However smoking, drinking, being overweight, not doing exercise etc massively increases you risk of other conditions and therefore your use of NHS resources.
So yes we should all be doing what we can to improve our health.

It’s not always about choice op. You are privileged to be able to make that choice. You can choose to lead a healthy lifestyle and then get run over by a bus.
Also if it isn’t used it will disappear. Use it or loose it.

No.

My life doesn’t revolve around “lessening my impact on the NHS”. The NHS should be here to look after people regardless of what they do with their life, rather than people living their lives round the NHS.