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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the NHS isn’t fit for purpose?

197 replies

BrendaBubbles · 25/09/2021 21:14

There’s a story on Mail Online right now about a woman with breathing difficulties who was left on hold for hours with her GP who died during the call. There have been a lot of stories recently about people with cancer that wasn’t picked up due to resource limits and a DH of a friend of mine has been told there is a six month waiting list for an MRI.

I know the people in the NHS are true gold but despite record amounts of money the service is getting worse. It was also in the news earlier that the number of people seen at A&E within four hours was 95% in 2010 and has fallen to 67% now and I’m sure we’ve all felt this when we’ve attended ourselves.

It’s clearly not just about money but is the NHS even fit for purpose now when people are dying through simple negligence and lack of reasonable diagnosis and in person access to GPs?

OP posts:
Eleganz · 25/09/2021 21:44

That's what underfunding gets you.

I'm not a massive fan of our primary care systems largely being provided by independent contractors (GP surgeries), but that isn't the key issue in a health system that has been utterly batter by cuts and a global pandemic.

Asdf12345 · 25/09/2021 21:50

You get what you pay for, but few are willing to pay significantly more tax.

FangsForTheMemory · 25/09/2021 21:52

The government has been defunding the NHS for a decade in order to get people like YOU to think it is not fit for purpose so that when they sell it off - which they are doing, bit by bit - there will be no outcry.

Every time I see a thread like this started, I assume the OP is a Tory shill. If you're not, don't play into their hands.

madroid · 25/09/2021 21:52

I would gladly pay another 1-2% for high standard health care - but no one's asked me.

It's our politics that are broken.

CourgetteGlutTony · 25/09/2021 21:52

It’s not underfunded. The NHS is stretched too far by offering too many treatments/services. Some modern drugs cost thousands if not millions.
If we want the NHS to continue to offer such treatments, we need to pay more tax, or accept that we have to pay at point of use for appointments

Iseeyoulookingatme · 25/09/2021 21:53

It's very sad that the lady passed away waiting in a doctors que. But she was really poorly and her family should have called 999 if she was having breathing difficulties.

IfImLyingImDying · 25/09/2021 21:53

Exactly which records amount of money are you talking about?

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/09/2021 21:55

@FangsForTheMemory

The government has been defunding the NHS for a decade in order to get people like YOU to think it is not fit for purpose so that when they sell it off - which they are doing, bit by bit - there will be no outcry.

Every time I see a thread like this started, I assume the OP is a Tory shill. If you're not, don't play into their hands.

This.
Viviennemary · 25/09/2021 21:55

Its rubbish. Can't even see a GP.

Autumngoldleaf · 25/09/2021 21:55

Did labour under fund it?
Because in 2006 was when our hospital was in the most dire state?
If remember writing to my mp as well about the chronic shortage of midwives.

Op I agree it needs a lot of work, a lot of work, we need a specialist business /health care professional team made up of top to bottom people all looking at the best systems in the world and structure and seeing what we can do here..

Cocomarine · 25/09/2021 21:57

Enough with the “true gold” shite.
Plenty of staff in the NHS are lazy jobsworths. A minority it’s true - and no more so than other workplaces - but can we just have a serious discussion about the NHS without romanticising all the staff?

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 25/09/2021 21:59

@Autumngoldleaf

Did labour under fund it? Because in 2006 was when our hospital was in the most dire state? If remember writing to my mp as well about the chronic shortage of midwives.

Op I agree it needs a lot of work, a lot of work, we need a specialist business /health care professional team made up of top to bottom people all looking at the best systems in the world and structure and seeing what we can do here..

Labour began to improve the funding situation. By the time Labour left power the NHS had turned a corner and waiting lists were at a sensible level. That’s not to say it was perfect, and some aspects remained inadequate following the previous 18 years of Tory underfunding.
TheFairyCaravan · 25/09/2021 22:01

@FangsForTheMemory

The government has been defunding the NHS for a decade in order to get people like YOU to think it is not fit for purpose so that when they sell it off - which they are doing, bit by bit - there will be no outcry.

Every time I see a thread like this started, I assume the OP is a Tory shill. If you're not, don't play into their hands.

Exactly.

I don’t understand why the poor lady’s family didn’t phone an ambulance instead of watching her wait on the phone for 2 hours. Someone was there because her son did call the ambulance and do CPR once she’d collapsed.

lannistunut · 25/09/2021 22:02

The Tory government is not fit for purpose, they've underfunded it for a decade now, and here is the outcome.

MimiDaisy11 · 25/09/2021 22:03

@FangsForTheMemory

The government has been defunding the NHS for a decade in order to get people like YOU to think it is not fit for purpose so that when they sell it off - which they are doing, bit by bit - there will be no outcry.

Every time I see a thread like this started, I assume the OP is a Tory shill. If you're not, don't play into their hands.

Yes this times a thousand!

OP says “It’s clearly not just about money” but it’s not at all clear. There have been studies done examining healthcare systems in the past which showed the NHS was the most efficient and systems like in the USA the least. The UK has so much less funds spent on it. Yet despite all the evidence the ideology of the free market solving everything still survives. It doesn’t work with healthcare. It’s not like shopping for clothes or a car.

Mamamia7962 · 25/09/2021 22:09

There was a post on here recently from a nurse I think, who said that it wasn't underfunded but there was just so much money that was wasted needlessly.

ripples101 · 25/09/2021 22:09

The NHS isn’t underfunded. The NHS is mismanaged. The money that it gets isn’t going to the services it needs, but instead is being creamed by mid and upper management, who earn x times more than top level consultants.

Too many non medical people are running the NHS now, and they are making it unfit for purpose while becoming very wealthy off the back of it.

And it is an absolute disgrace that this is happening and has happened for a long time now.

MonkeyPuddle · 25/09/2021 22:11

So where do you get the extra thousands of GP’s from then? Magic wand? My arse? Where?

JumpLeadsForTwo · 25/09/2021 22:13

The problem is that no government that suggests properly funding the NHS (through taxes) is going to be voted for. There needs to be a cross party consensus about funding/ rationing of services. Social card isn't funded properly either and they are interlinked.

Susannahmoody · 25/09/2021 22:14

Oh god not this again. Yes, it's no longer fit for purpose.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/09/2021 22:15

Agree with @ripples101
The disorganisation and mismanagement is obscene. Let alone the way staff speak to the general public.

Awalkintime · 25/09/2021 22:23

Why are we surprised. We were told this would happen a few years ago.
We ignored it and now here we are...

You reap what you sow.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 25/09/2021 22:25

I think perhaps the more pertinent question is what is (and what should be) the purpose of the NHS in the first place. I think that people expect it to cover everything (and the expectations placed on it widens every day) and it really wasn't set up to cover such a vast array of services. Nor does it have the funding to do so. I think there is an argument for a slimmed down NHS which can then allow it to concentrate its funding and resources into more essential services.

Porfre · 25/09/2021 22:48

No it's not for for purpose.

When you ring for an ambulance and you get told they're really busy and 2 hours later there is still no sign, it shows.

LocalHobo · 25/09/2021 22:53

It’s not underfunded. The NHS is stretched too far by offering too many treatments/services.
and
I think that people expect it to cover everything (and the expectations placed on it widens every day) and it really wasn't set up to cover such a vast array of services

These are the facts. When will decisions be made?

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