Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Are they all hiding in a fucking fridge?

627 replies

noblegiraffe · 02/01/2023 22:37

The government? Where is the leadership? The reassurance that the problem is being addressed with urgency? Cobra meetings? Horrendous stories coming out of A&E departments right now.

Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary today announced on twitter that people should download the Couch to 5k app to reduce pressure on the NHS.

twitter.com/stevebarclay/status/1609957311610556416?s=61&t=rHTkCD1w_H9OmH9UB2E4UQ

Do your fucking job, Steve. And Rishi, show some leadership. You bloody wanted this job so badly, where have you gone?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64142614

OP posts:
Figgypudding123 · 04/01/2023 08:33

And this morning Rishi is blathering on about a plan to keep young people doing compulsory maths until 18.

No mention of where all the additional Maths teachers will come from.
No mention of NHS
No mention of cost of living

They are all in cloud cuckoo land. We need a general election asap.

Butterflywing · 04/01/2023 09:18

I do think the NHS has to change away from a medical model of health IE what's wrong with you the individual, to a social and geographical model of health which looks at the effects of poverty, poor housing and poor mental health etc that society creates for its citizens in a particular region, then that would be better for all. If people are to take more responsibility for their own health and well being wherever possible that would mean better housing, better environment, good working conditions, better education, and it would mean a sea change in race relations and regional leveling up.

'Fixing' the NHS is like putting a sticking plaster on general decay. Throwing more money at it won't work which is why the new mantra is self help.

paintitallover · 04/01/2023 09:20

That's been says for years. They won't do it. The danger is that they'll say they will, but then do nothing. Also, poverty and housing right now are as. Ad as it gets in the uk, so the groundwork has not just not been laid, it's been smashed .

paintitallover · 04/01/2023 09:21

*said not says.

poetryandwine · 04/01/2023 10:05

@Kendodd As someone who thinks we should explore fair, alternative systems, because I know first hand they can offer better and equally equitable care, I also agree with you about the problem with bed blocking in NHS hospitals.

It is well documented that the UK began this crisis with fewer hospital beds per capita than other wealthy countries. Bed blocking would have less impact if we had a reasonable number of beds.

Velvian · 04/01/2023 11:06

WTF is the continuing obsession with maths?? It is bizarre. Everyone needs arithmetic, but few people need even GCSE level maths.

I think the Tories need a bit more philosophy and ethics TBH.

Spect8 · 04/01/2023 11:06

Time for a Royal Family wheel out, or a scandal, or some other distraction for the poor and huddled masses.

As for a two year investment in social care etc. well that brings us near enough to an election, so they will either pump it in, or not give a obfuscate and delay it. I'm guessing the latter, for Tories be Tories right, no matter what.

Greatly · 04/01/2023 11:16

Velvian · 04/01/2023 11:06

WTF is the continuing obsession with maths?? It is bizarre. Everyone needs arithmetic, but few people need even GCSE level maths.

I think the Tories need a bit more philosophy and ethics TBH.

This!

Greatly · 04/01/2023 11:17

Gcse level maths has Latin levels of irrelevance within it tbh. 28% gets you a pass.

Ginmonkeyagain · 04/01/2023 11:19

What would be helpful to keep up is the kind of maths that is useful for every day life - basic mental arithmetic, how to read graphs, basic statistics, how to calculate percentages etc..

Piggywaspushed · 04/01/2023 11:31

That already exists! It's called KS3 and GCSE....

justasking111 · 04/01/2023 12:22

If my children had been expected to do A level maths as well. I'd have said ignore it and fail. Study and revise for the A levels YOU chose.

I gave the same advice for the Welsh baccalaureate

Freesia41 · 04/01/2023 12:32

Emanresu9 · 03/01/2023 05:46

Fireyflies
Keeping fit is great. But it is not our job to reduce pressure on the NHS . It is his job to ensure the NHS meets our needs.

and this attitude sums up so much of the problem. The public are all about their rights and not about their responsibilities. I think it’s appalling

This.

People do need to take some personal responsibility for their own health.

A huge proportion of illness is caused by preventable factors.

SuperTrooper7 · 04/01/2023 12:37

I've got Dyscalculia Rishi and still need to count using my fingers! Never could learn the old times tables. You can bog off telling poor sods like me to continue compulsory maths education past 16!

MichaelFartblender · 04/01/2023 12:38

SuperTrooper7 · 04/01/2023 12:37

I've got Dyscalculia Rishi and still need to count using my fingers! Never could learn the old times tables. You can bog off telling poor sods like me to continue compulsory maths education past 16!

Doubt he’s reading…

Freesia41 · 04/01/2023 12:40

Piggywaspushed · 03/01/2023 06:50

We were literally told just over a week ago by some government lackey to think twice about whether our journeys were necessary cuppa. That isn't normal or proportionate. Besides whihc, most accidents occur in the home. We are to keep the NHS running by becoming hermits, perhaps doing a jog round our back garden?

I'm pretty sure that was just on the days of the ambulance strikes, not general life advice.

And we're not really talking about accidents, generally, are we?

In case anyone hadn't noticed, we have a massive obesity crisis in the UK. The list of diseases that can be contributed to that is endless.

The social annual cost of obesity in the UK is £58 billion. The annual cost of obesity to the NHS is £6.5 billion.

justasking111 · 04/01/2023 12:46

Freesia41 · 04/01/2023 12:40

I'm pretty sure that was just on the days of the ambulance strikes, not general life advice.

And we're not really talking about accidents, generally, are we?

In case anyone hadn't noticed, we have a massive obesity crisis in the UK. The list of diseases that can be contributed to that is endless.

The social annual cost of obesity in the UK is £58 billion. The annual cost of obesity to the NHS is £6.5 billion.

Show quote history

What is social annual cost please if it's not the NHS?

SuperTrooper7 · 04/01/2023 12:49

MichaelFartblender · 04/01/2023 12:38

Doubt he’s reading…

Show quote history

Probably not but he bloody well should be! Can anyone send a link??

Freesia41 · 04/01/2023 12:50

@justasking111 It also includes the loss of quality adjusted life years for individuals, loss of productivity and cost of social care.

The full report led by Frontier Economics (2022) is here:

www.frontier-economics.com/uk/en/news-and-articles/articles/article-i9130-the-annual-social-cost-of-obesity-in-the-uk/#

Freesia41 · 04/01/2023 12:51

@justasking111 The NHS cost is also included in the total cost.

Oldnproud · 04/01/2023 13:20

Ginmonkeyagain · 04/01/2023 08:21

Indeed. Covid and Brexit have't helped but this is the boomer demogrpahic time bomb people have been warning about for years. It's here and it is exploding all over the NHS.

We have, and will continue to have, many more eldery and sick people to deal with. The baby boom generation are literally larger than the two generations below them. We cannot continue to expect working people to continue to fund all this from tax on incomes. There needs to be a drastic change in funding and delivery of health and social care or this will just get worse.

There also needs to be a shift to promote preventative medicine. Older people of course get more sucepitable to falls but there are things people can do, starting in middle age, to strengthen bone density, strengthen muscles and improve balance - load bearing exercise, gentle yoga or Tai Chi.

You do realize though that pensioners still pay tax on applicable income above the tax threshold, don't you?
I've seen a report suggesting that 2 out of 3 pensioners will be paying some tax

I'm not saying that the aging population isn't a huge problem, but let's not give the impression that all retirees no longer pay into the system.

That said, there could be a strong case for continuing NICs after retirement above a certain income level, as those do stop.

Ginmonkeyagain · 04/01/2023 13:22

Yes i do. But what I was alluding to is that it cannot all be covered by income tax. We have to tax assets more. Which for most of us means housing wealth.

Oldnproud · 04/01/2023 13:40

Ginmonkeyagain · 04/01/2023 13:22

Yes i do. But what I was alluding to is that it cannot all be covered by income tax. We have to tax assets more. Which for most of us means housing wealth.

But doesn't most 'housing wealth' end up back in the economy anyway, either through the owner(s) having to pay for care (which pays other peoples wages, which they in turn pay income tax on and vat almost every time they buy anything) or eventually through inheritance tax?

Piggywaspushed · 04/01/2023 13:44

Obesity , general ill health, and certain conditions are heavily linked to poverty, of course. So perhaps tackling poverty as a root cause would help.

Interesting that the New Year's honours included Sir Michael Marmot of the eponymous Report, wo for years has crusaded on the link between poverty, inequalities, and poor health outcomes. He himself was surprised by his additional honour!

Ginmonkeyagain · 04/01/2023 13:53

@Oldnproud most people do not pay inheritance tax. Me, I would tax inheritance as income bar a carve out for people inheriting their primary residence and a tax free sum (say £15k).